Regret Purchase of M9 after 2nd service.

[Xmas]

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Try some distilled water just moisting a cotton swab on a stick, dont rub just dab very gently, over several minutes.

 

Water will dissolve some things that organic solvents wont shift.

 

This is what I do on soft single coated lenses, sometimes the mar just dissappears.

 

If it does reduce - then immediatley try the normal sensor cleaning solution, to try and remove any residue, or smear. If it alters you may need to cycle water and normal cleaning solvent, several times be careful invest time, not friction...

 

Noel

[ho_co]

Christopher--thanks for the tale. It sure has its share of ups and downs, doesn't it?

 

I'm sorry this happened, and glad for the even-handedness with which you've handled it.

 

After seeing the camera in your video, I'm astonished at the ease with which you've responded to us and to Leica. There's certainly no abuse, and the question of "heavy use" doesn't seem to apply, either, to my eye. I'd have blown up, not written a sensible and descriptive summary on the web.

 

 

But I do understand about the lens: It is definitely a minor and merely cosmetic problem, as you said, but there there are two ways to repair it.

• One is to take a pair of pliers and straighten the ding. Leica wouldn't do that.
  
• The other is to disassemble the lens to the point necessary to get to the filter-ring and to replace it. That would probably mean a removal of the optics, and that would incur a complete re-assembly and re-calibration of the lens.
  

 

I'd get a mechanic to look at it and see if he can't straighten out the filter thread enough to mount a filter, then put a matte black paint on the threads.

 

This is really an ugly example of things coming together just the wrong way, and I'm amazed that there's no hint of anger in your voice in the video.

 

All the best to you.

[pico]

When I literally demolished my M9 in a crash, I sent it to Leica USA where they completely rebuilt it to better-than-new (imho), and returned it within 10 days.

 

Perhaps rather than sending to Solms you should send broken M9s to the USA!

[ho_co]

Pico, good point. But in my reading, the problem here less the camera than the lens. The camera suffered surprisingly little damage according to the repair record. (And the lens also doesn't look severely damaged.)

 

If Leica USA had received Christopher's lens, it would probably have had to go back to Solms anyway, so he'd have had the same expense and the same discussion, but he'd have been without the equipment for another month.

 

I don't blame him for a bad taste in his mouth.

[k-hawinkler]

Christopher,

 

You residing in Sweden, I would recommend Will Van Manen in Holland as a repair specialist.

 

Best, K-H.

[Xmas]

but there there are two ways to repair it.

• One is to take a pair of pliers and straighten the ding. Leica wouldn't do that.
  
• The other is to disassemble the lens to the point necessary to get to the filter-ring and to replace it. That would probably mean a removal of the optics, and that would incur a complete re-assembly and re-calibration of the lens.
  

 

I'd get a mechanic to look at it and see if he can't straighten out the filter thread enough to mount a filter, then put a matte black paint on the threads.

 

No the repair procedure does not involve pliers! That will distort the metal more than necessary.

But you are correct Leica would not do that.

You need two blocks of wood and a hammer, and some skill.

 

Leica would have repaired if you had asked them for quote and instructed them to proceed, they would have replaced the piece part if they had spares, rebuilding the lens but probably expensive, e.g. if they needed to mill the damaged component to diss-assemble, or if the glass had been stressed, they would have needed new elements.

 

You always need a filter and a hood on a lens... If you are never going to use a filter then lens is ok as is - probably.

 

The strap lugs pop like pop corn, in hot oil the guy I was shooting with last week end...

 

Noel

[AlanG]

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I may be off base but I thought on a lot of lenses the filter ring can easily be replaced just by removing a set screw and unthreading the ring from the lens. Maybe the aperture ring has to be removed first. In any case, no big deal. Is there something different about the 35 f2 in this regard?

[ho_co]

Alan, I'm no lens tech, but for some reason, Leica wanted €400 for the job.

 

I worked for them long enough to know they aren't frivolous and wasteful with their money or with others'.

[AlanG]

Alan, I'm no lens tech, but for some reason, Leica wanted €400 for the job.

 

I worked for them long enough to know they aren't frivolous and wasteful with their money or with others'.

 

I was under the impression that the 400 Euros was for much more work than simply for replacing this ring as they had claimed it had been worked on by a third party and thus had other problems besides the problem with the ring. (This isn't really cosmetic if you can't use a filter.) I have no idea if Leica would charge this much simply to replace the ring. But if it is very complicated to do so, I'd be curious why the design would require this as bent filter rings have always been pretty common on any lens that has a metal filter ring.

 

All I'm saying is that it shouldn't be too hard to find a repair shop that can replace this ring for a reasonable price or at minimum straighten it to be usable. (This is a pretty common repair.)

 

A lot of people do this themselves with a simple tool that is made for this such as this one:

 

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=LV1

[vanhulsenbeek]

Christopher,

 

You residing in Sweden, I would recommend Will Van Manen in Holland as a repair specialist.

 

Best, K-H.

 

I second that: http://www.kamera-service.info/

He did a few fine repair jobs for me.

[Xmas]

I may be off base but I thought on a lot of lenses the filter ring can easily be replaced just by removing a set screw and unthreading the ring from the lens. Maybe the aperture ring has to be removed first. In any case, no big deal. Is there something different about the 35 f2 in this regard?

 

Frequently the filter ring is a long cylinder with assemblies threaded into it to hold the front part of the lens elements together, and the first operation is to use a lens spanner to remove a ring threaded deeper in the filter ring. So you need an intact filter ring to dismantle the lens.

 

See the engineering drqwing in the tecnmicqal details, where it is not clear if this lens is so organised...

 

Leica Camera AG - Photography - LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH.

 

Think I might have accepted Leicas quote.

 

Noel

[daniboy]

The second time I sent it in was about 1 month ago. The reason, while in India one of

the camera strap mounts came off. No warning, just came off. The piece holding it in

with two screws simply came off and the camera drops to the ground

 

Excatly the same thing just happend to my M9-P just as I have started my trip around Vietnam! Luckily I had quick reflexes and caught the other strap while the camera plunged toward the stone floor, so no harm done

 

But it still pisses me off since I now have live without the strap for 3 weeks and have to service the camera when I get back to Europe. I surely hope the warranty covers this as my camera is just 4 months old.

[wattsy]

I surely hope the warranty covers this as my camera is just 4 months old.

 

I can't imagine why it wouldn't be covered by the warranty.

[archi4]

I for one can't imagine why this happens in the first place.

[algrove]

Good morning all,

 

This is not to complain, nor to suggest Leica is creating inferior products. Just a log

of my experience and to welcome any suggestions.

 

I purchased my M9 about 1 year ago and when working, it's great. About 6 months

into owning the camera it goes in for service the first time. The reason being the large

dial on back was producing erratic results. They replaced it and cleaned the camera.

They made no mention of a scratched sensor on the report or to me. The camera

came back with a dirty sensor and one of the viewfinder's LED lights no longer working.

I decided to live with the faults until I needed to send the camera in again.

 

The second time I sent it in was about 1 month ago. The reason, while in India one of

the camera strap mounts came off. No warning, just came off. The piece holding it in

with two screws simply came off and the camera drops to the ground, lightly damaging

an older 35mm summicron. So I sent in the camera and lens for service.

 

After 2-3 weeks I had to call Leica to find what was going on. They inform me the

scratch in the sensor had been there since the first service and is not covered under

warranty. 900+ euros to fix. Though the lens was damaged due to the fault from the

camera body, Leica will not check it out (for free) as it has been serviced before and

apparently by someone else (before I owned the lens). If I want them to check it out

it'll cost around 400 euros minimum. They will fix the strap mount though. The camera

should be ready in another 3 weeks.

 

This makes for roughly 2 1/2 months of 12 months I've not had camera due to servicing.

 

So while I do love using the camera, I admit I'm regretting the purchase a bit now.

European (Swedish) Law says I cannot get a replacement unless the camera is sent

in for service 3x with the same problem.

 

Thoughts are welcome!

 

It sounds like a crap camera so I'll give you US$3000 right now. Deal?