RockyIII Posted February 7, 2012 Share #41 Posted February 7, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) But then he's promised to be done with the work many, many times before, so I'm not sure how much I can rely on his word. Based on that, apparently you cannot rely on his word. I would have the lens and parts returned immediately without the work being done. Then I would either find another craftsman or sell the lens. Rocky Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Hi RockyIII, Take a look here After 3 years at Malcolm Taylor's, will my lens have fungus?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
octo Posted February 7, 2012 Share #42 Posted February 7, 2012 Same here, CLA to my 35 and 50 Summicrons in 2-3 weeks. Then a complete strip down and repair to my M6 in 2-3 months since I was not in a rush and travelling in/out of country. But all ended well and with many nice phone conversations. I would love to stop by at his place, and never had the chance. Now after 3 years, you might want to do that, right? K. I did visit him, for a few days, in 2005 during a motorcycle trip and he and his wife are people I feel honoured to have met. I, too, once suffered about a lens that took some time to come back but he was waiting for a custom made front element and a couple of manufacturers who had sent him perfect samples didn't deliver the same quality on production batches and Malcolm being quietly unforgiving on quality wouldn't send me the lens unless it was up to his standards. It didn't matter too much then as it was more in a spirit of experiment. I have never had a problem when I indicated the urgency level on all the gear I sent him; I have always been honest with him and some lenses/bodies he couls CLA them at his leisure, others were given a deadline before sending them over. It was up to him to confirm he could deliver within the time limit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted February 7, 2012 Share #43 Posted February 7, 2012 Based on that, apparently you cannot rely on his word. I would have the lens and parts returned immediately without the work being done. Then I would either find another craftsman or sell the lens. Rocky Easier said than done. Malcolm shares the top of the tree with only a couple of other repairers in the world. Flouncing off after all this time may be shooting yourself in the foot. Much better a phone call and a gee up. Steve 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeman Posted February 12, 2012 Share #44 Posted February 12, 2012 Hi Plasticman, Three years is nothing. Malcolm has had two of my Leica lenses for nine years! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted February 12, 2012 Share #45 Posted February 12, 2012 A guy I know is collecting his Jaguar E type from the garage next week. He dropped it off for it's first 6000 mile service back in 1974. Bit of a wait but apparently their mechanics are the best around. Hope they've remembered to MOT it for him Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted February 12, 2012 Share #46 Posted February 12, 2012 A guy I know is collecting his Jaguar E type from the garage next week. He dropped it off for it's first 6000 mile service back in 1974. Bit of a wait but apparently their mechanics are the best around. Hope they've remembered to MOT it for him I hear with Jaguar that's not unusual. Must have needed a part from the factory. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 12, 2012 Share #47 Posted February 12, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) This reminds me of a joke. Recently a man bought a house and found a very old crate in the attic. He opened it and there was a frayed Civil War uniform and accessories - and a ticket for a boot repair dated 1864. He wondered what the town looked like after all these years. He went to the address and was shocked to find the shoe repair shop was still there and in business! So with a smile on his face he walked in and presented the repair ticket to the proprietor who without blinking an eye, walked into the back room and promptly returned. "Yep! Got 'em. They will be ready tomorrow!" 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted February 13, 2012 Share #48 Posted February 13, 2012 He took about three months for a 2.8/50 Elmar, but that needed a new front element, other jobs have been a few weeks Gerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayewing Posted February 13, 2012 Share #49 Posted February 13, 2012 It is interesting that those of us who have actually had dealings with Malcolm are pretty relaxed about delay on some jobs. As well as being a such a nice person to deal with and a fascinating raconteur on all matters pertaining to Leica and its history, he is probably one of the best Leica technicians to be found anywhere. I understand that he does restoration work for the Leica museum at Solms. Still three years must be exceptional. I am sure we will all be interesed in the outcome. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsambrook Posted February 13, 2012 Share #50 Posted February 13, 2012 I've never sent anything to Malcolm Taylor but in the past have had items away for ages with repairers . . . not just photo equipment either I think the comment that Mr Taylor is "such a nice person to deal with and a fascinating raconteur on all matters pertaining to Leica and its history" probably sums up an endemic problem with charismatic, solo craftsmen. They have a huge stock of experience and knowledge, the instinct to be polite with those who contact them, the willingness to answer questions and become involved in discussions and explanations, and the perceived need to prioritise those who ask for prompt treatment at the expense of those who will wait patiently. C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas le good business. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeman Posted February 13, 2012 Share #51 Posted February 13, 2012 All my efforts to get my two lenses (plus two other Leica items) back from Malcolm Taylor over the past nine years have failed. I have just resigned myself to their loss, remembering that he is now in his late eighties. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Seeney Posted February 13, 2012 Share #52 Posted February 13, 2012 I had the pleasure of dealing with Malcolm in late 2011 - calibration of rangefinder, 6 bit coding and a long long chat about Leica products. Everything returned promptly and in tip top condition. Cannot praise him highly enough to be honest - I think we need to be careful about posts like this since it may inadvertently tarnish someones reputation and I don't think that is what the OP wanted. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 14, 2012 Share #53 Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) Three years is nothing. Malcolm has had two of my Leica lenses for nine years! For gosh sakes, don't you people have legal remedies for this kind of abuse? If I sent out something and it was delayed nine years, I'd have remedy in my will. Nine years is the same as theft. Hang the bastard. Being nice and respectful has a limit. After that long (in fact one year, max) I would demand that it be sent back in seven days and it if it were not delivered I'd show up with some angry people with instruments of persuasion. Edited February 14, 2012 by pico Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayewing Posted February 14, 2012 Share #54 Posted February 14, 2012 I've never sent anything to Malcolm Taylor but in the past have had items away for ages with repairers . . . not just photo equipment either....... C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas le good business. Actually I think Malcolm Taylor is much more interested in getting Leica equipment to work perfectly than in making money. His charges are extremely reasonble. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 14, 2012 Share #55 Posted February 14, 2012 and not close the call until you have an honest status report, cost estimate and time to completion That could be a LONG call...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeman Posted February 14, 2012 Share #56 Posted February 14, 2012 There is no need for anyone to be abusive. Malcolm Taylor is a brilliant Leica technician and a thoroughly nice guy. But I would like my lenses back. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 14, 2012 Share #57 Posted February 14, 2012 Malcolm Taylor is a brilliant Leica technician and a thoroughly nice guy. I couldn't agree more. Very informative too, and he can talk - as can many people who are both experts and extremely enthusiastic about their area of expertise - although he's always enjoyable to talk to. The downside is that such people are also often perfectionists and can be frustrating to deal with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted February 14, 2012 Share #58 Posted February 14, 2012 snip....... remembering that he is now in his late eighties. I have met him several times when collecting repairs, I would say he is probably younger than me (late 60s) Gerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share #59 Posted October 30, 2013 Just a coda on this thread: rang for an update on the lens (no longer really expecting any progress) and it turns out that Malcolm had been told about this discussion and considered it a stab in the back (which in retrospect, it sort of was) and is now refusing to do the work and intends to send the lens back unaltered "over the next week or two". Naturally I can see his point of view - my concerns about fungus could, and maybe should, have been addressed directly to him, but I wasn't sure of getting a straight answer, and so I rather impulsively posted here. Nonetheless, I do find his reaction rather childish - he doesn't dispute the time taken (about 4,5 years with no work done on the lens) but he strongly objected to my discussing it online. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted October 30, 2013 Share #60 Posted October 30, 2013 On the bright side, Mani, you might like to consider how much the value of the Canon 50/0.95 has appreciated in the intervening years? Little consolation for the delay perhaps but ... (For what it's worth I have had no problem with any work that Malcolm Taylor has done for me and it has always been of the highest quality.) Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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