geoff Posted September 15, 2012 Share #1 Posted September 15, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have several Leica M lenses that have been in my possession, but unused, since the mid ‘70s, for which I am now considering selling off. I believe at least two, or three, of the lenses are of collectable value, with one being quite rare. While all of the lenses look near new in appearance, I would, at the least, like to have their condition certified, in writing, by a qualified expert who could also provide any repair if needed and deemed advisable including: • CLA • haze and fungus removal • lens polishing • recoating • recementing of elements I am trying to ascertain whether it would be better to sell the lenses as is, have them certified and CLA or go all out with any additional discovered repairs needs and if such work might actually reduce value rather than enhance it. Obviously, repair cost would be weighed against what could be commanded through a potential sell. I am seeking the advice and recommendations from those with past repair experience, as well as knowledge in the area of Leica collectable items. Could anyone speak directly to these issues and, or comment on experiences from the following shops or recommend someone else? Thank you. DAG Camera Don Goldberg Oregon, WI Golden Touch Sherry Krauter Campbell Hall, NY Focal Point Inc. John Van Stelten Superior, CO Nippon Photo Clinic Service New York, NY Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 15, 2012 Posted September 15, 2012 Hi geoff, Take a look here Servicing vintage Leica lenses to be sold. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rickp13 Posted September 15, 2012 Share #2 Posted September 15, 2012 hello geoff, my comment is based on experience with two 90mm elmars, 2 135mm hektors and a summarit f1.5. i started with purchase prices ranging from very low to reasonable, then invested in CLA and, in the case of the summarit, included recoating/polishing of the front element. in most cases, i'd suggest that investing in a full program for relatively common lenses makes best sense if you are going to keep and use the lens yourself. i say that because it was a bit of a struggle to break even on my investment. i suppose that potential customers probably fall into two main groups - those who wish to pay the market price for a lens excluding the cost of a CLA, etc, and those who prefer to pay a low price and have the work done themselves "so they know what they're getting". people with more experience with 'collectible' lenses will certainly have specific and possibly different advice. i wish you much success. let us know how it works out for you? rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SideB Posted September 15, 2012 Share #3 Posted September 15, 2012 Whether it is worth it depends on the external cosmetic condition of the lens. The final ten per cent of condition can add 100 per cent or more to the value. According to this formula it will cost the same to have a lens in 75 per cent cosmetic condition serviced as one that's 100 per cent, but the 75 per cent lens will only ever be worth half as much. So if your lenses just need a CLA to bring them up to 100 per cent then it would certainly be worth it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted September 15, 2012 Share #4 Posted September 15, 2012 You will not recoup cost of major repairs for resale. Clean and lube might enhance resale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted September 15, 2012 Share #5 Posted September 15, 2012 I've never sold any Leica gear in 50 years, so I can't speak to value. But I have had lenses CLA'd by both DAG and Sherry, and both did excellent work, cheaper than I expected. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB007 Posted September 16, 2012 Share #6 Posted September 16, 2012 DAG and Nippon Photo Clinic Service are great. They have CLA'd my lenses and cameras. DAG has one of my cameras for CLA right now. From what I gather, Focal Point is the place to go for lens polishing and re-coating. It might cost you more than it's worth. It depends on the lens you have. I heard Sherry is great too but I have never had my camera or lens CLA'd by her. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted September 18, 2012 Share #7 Posted September 18, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Old lenses are easy to CLA, if they need a recoating that is an another deal... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted September 19, 2012 Share #8 Posted September 19, 2012 Leica lenses have used, over the years, two different types of cement to glue elements together for an optical group. The older ones use a natural Canada Balsam. This is prone to fungus, being a natural product, where the balsam acts as the "food" for the fungus. Sometimes, dependant on what glass is used, the fungus can damage the actual element itself. As these are cemented elements, the cemented surfaces are not coated. The upside of Canada balsam is that it is easy to separate the elements to clean out fungus. Usually just boiling water will be enough to separate or at most a low temperature oven. The later lenses use a UV setting epoxy resin to glue the elements together into a group. This is much less prone to fungus damage but not wholly immune. The downside is that it is close to impossible to separate the glued elements without damage, in order to clean them. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torquinian Posted October 5, 2012 Share #9 Posted October 5, 2012 You will not recoup cost of major repairs for resale. I agree. It is better to let the buyer pay for servicing, if he wants to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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