Jeff S Posted July 29, 2013 Share #61 Posted July 29, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Reminds me of a conversation I had with a former Leica employee working in the States who explained how they once ran out of a certain cement, but couldn't get any from Germany since they were also out. A supplier existed in Ohio, so it was shipped to Germany, then to NJ. Strange little company at times. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 29, 2013 Posted July 29, 2013 Hi Jeff S, Take a look here New M 240 focus is off?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Stealth3kpl Posted July 29, 2013 Share #62 Posted July 29, 2013 At the current time, only Germany is qualified to service the rangefinder mechanism on the M 240. They get just the right degree of inaccuracy Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danedit28 Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share #63 Posted July 29, 2013 WHOA! I apologize!!! I just re-tested using my 35mm Summicron and the 90mm Summarit. And I'm happy to say that the new M 240 is spot on; perfect. When I did my tests with the first unit back in May, I tested with all my lenses and the M was consistently back-focusing across the board. But this morning I only tested with my 50mm Summilux (my must trusted lens, I thought). Well, it turns out that over the course of traveling and shooting several thousand frames this summer, my 50mm is now the culprit. I even hooked up the 50mm on my M9 and indeed it is showing a slight misfire at close range. So... now to get that lens fixed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted July 29, 2013 Share #64 Posted July 29, 2013 WHOA! I apologize!!! I just re-tested using my 35mm Summicron and the 90mm Summarit. And I'm happy to say that the new M 240 is spot on; perfect. Good news. Disregard my post. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
viramati Posted July 29, 2013 Share #65 Posted July 29, 2013 David, You got something fixed at Milton Keynes - well I never! After Stuart Bean left as service manager to run Bakers in Lewes, MK never managed to fix anything of mine. I sent back a Digilux 2 in late 2005 with a failing sensor. It was one of the first Digilux 2's sold so the sensor failure issue was not as well known at this time. It came back after 10 weeks with a report "all recalibrated". The image numbering had moved on precisely 2 shots, both of which were unfortunately for Leica left on the card. They showed a roll up cigarette smouldering in a tobacco tin on the optical workbench. The camera was just as bad as before. Stuart who had organised the return to MK hit the roof and was immediately on the phone to the MD of Leica UK, demanding a replacement camera for me. Two months later one finally arrived from Germany but I had moved on and was using a Sony R1 with APS-C sensor by that time and had an M8 on order, so I sold it as a new Digilux 2 but with no warranty. Wilson Well there is a storyII aAnyway I started my leica life with M8 not long before it closed down but at least they were still able to the calibrate the rangefinder if nothing else Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 29, 2013 Share #66 Posted July 29, 2013 my 50mm is now the culprit. I even hooked up the 50mm on my M9 and indeed it is showing a slight misfire at close range. If NJ is busy, I repeat my endorsement of DAG. He recently fixed my 50 Summilux asph that had a sticky focus turn, something that NJ could NOT fix, and he did it fast and inexpensively. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted July 29, 2013 Share #67 Posted July 29, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Well there is a storyII aAnyway I started my leica life with M8 not long before it closed down but at least they were still able to the calibrate the rangefinder if nothing else I was trying to cast my mind back to where Leica UK were before Milton Keynes. Any of the older members remember? I have a feeling it was somewhere in west London like Houndslow or Ealing. I know you had to take a camera to one of their London main agents like R.G Lewis or as I did with my father's IIIA in 1965, to Wallace Heaton in New Bond Street for a CLA of the body, rebuild/repolish and recoat of Summar 50 lens plus F and X flash sync. The Summar 50 lens had been coated in the Netherlands in about 1948, with an extremely soft coating , most of which had been polished off by 1965. The IIIA and Summar came back looking like new only sadly for the camera to be stolen from his car in Spain the next year. He had had it since the early 1940's. When I was struggling with a friday Leicaflex SL in the early 1980's, I am fairly sure they were in MK by then, as I think that is were the London Camera Exchange kept having to send it for repairs (on their warranty). In the end LCE gave me a brand new Contax 139 and 50/1.4 Planar, if I would let them throw away the Leicaflex Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoppyman Posted July 30, 2013 Share #68 Posted July 30, 2013 WHOA! I apologize!!! I just re-tested using my 35mm Summicron and the 90mm Summarit. And I'm happy to say that the new M 240 is spot on; perfect. When I did my tests with the first unit back in May, I tested with all my lenses and the M was consistently back-focusing across the board. But this morning I only tested with my 50mm Summilux (my must trusted lens, I thought). Well, it turns out that over the course of traveling and shooting several thousand frames this summer, my 50mm is now the culprit. I even hooked up the 50mm on my M9 and indeed it is showing a slight misfire at close range. So... now to get that lens fixed! danedit that was good that you took the trouble to post that. If I re-read your posts now you thought that your first M240 RF was out but Solms reported that it was perfect (but the mask needed adjusting)? And your replacement M240 RF also proved to be perfect after you found the error was with your lens? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDP Posted July 30, 2013 Share #69 Posted July 30, 2013 I also thought the same as the OP when I got my M recently; consistently back focussing to the tune of an inch or so with my 50 Lux ASPH which had just been serviced for 'oil' on the shutter blades. In fact I received my serviced Lux back when I picked up my M. Having tested it with my 90 and 28 it is clear the issue is with the lens, as the shots with those other lenses are bang on. Obviously the 28 will have more margin as the DOF is larger, but the 90 at minimum focus and across the range distance pretty much confirmed that the 50 Lux helicoids were out of line. All lenses were also test compared between RF and LV with the same outcome. Really rather annoying that they would service and return a lens to the customer that was incorrectly calibrated, and obviously so. I appreciate that digital sensors provide effectively no margin for error but, really, 2.5 grand for a fast 50 you'd think they'd they at least attempt to eliminate such glaring errors in calibration. Almost daily one reads comments of people having to send their Leica lenses/cameras in for service multiple times before issues are rectified. Don't get me wrong, I love shooting Leica, but sooner or later someone is going to bring an alternative (body at least) that can compete or exceed on all levels, and all they will have left is their stellar lenses and hopefully improved customer service. On the plus side, the M really is an outstanding camera. Having useable high ISO has been a huge benefit and allow me to focus more the scenes I am trying to capture rather than the settings, which is really what attracted me to Leica in the first place. 'New' rangefinder is really crisp too, even more so than on previous M's I've had. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danedit28 Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share #70 Posted July 30, 2013 danedit that was good that you took the trouble to post that. If I re-read your posts now you thought that your first M240 RF was out but Solms reported that it was perfect (but the mask needed adjusting)?And your replacement M240 RF also proved to be perfect after you found the error was with your lens? No, my first M240 was indeed back-focusing and Solms made the adjustment and all of my lenses were behaving well after that incident. Prior to the fix, all of my lenses were showing a focusing error. Since that time, my 50 lux must have been banged up so I erroneously assumed my new M240 had a similar focusing problem. When my first M240 was returned from Germany to the US, their policy apparently dictates that the US Leica team inspect and clean the sensor before returning the unit to their customers. It was there, at Leica New Jersey, that the technician noticed the frameline error but they said I should take the camera anyway so I could use it on my assignments and they suggested that when I returned from my travels, they would put in the order for a full replacement. A very nice gesture, if you ask me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDP Posted July 30, 2013 Share #71 Posted July 30, 2013 No, my first M240 was indeed back-focusing and Solms made the adjustment and all of my lenses were behaving well after that incident. Prior to the fix, all of my lenses were showing a focusing error. Since that time, my 50 lux must have been banged up so I erroneously assumed my new M240 had a similar focusing problem. When my first M240 was returned from Germany to the US, their policy apparently dictates that the US Leica team inspect and clean the sensor before returning the unit to their customers. It was there, at Leica New Jersey, that the technician noticed the frameline error but they said I should take the camera anyway so I could use it on my assignments and they suggested that when I returned from my travels, they would put in the order for a full replacement. A very nice gesture, if you ask me. That is good service. I have to say that my issue with my Lux is the first time I've experienced anything but outstanding service from Leica, but it is concerning to hear the woes of others who've struggled to get their Leica products fixed in a effective and timely manner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
don daniel Posted July 30, 2013 Share #72 Posted July 30, 2013 When testing focus with the Summilux 50 asph. always do that with open aperture, not with 2.0 because it suffers a little bit from focus shift. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 30, 2013 Share #73 Posted July 30, 2013 That is not borne out by facts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 30, 2013 Share #74 Posted July 30, 2013 It was there, at Leica New Jersey, that the technician noticed the frameline error but they said I should take the camera anyway so I could use it on my assignments and they suggested that when I returned from my travels, they would put in the order for a full replacement. A very nice gesture, if you ask me. And your earlier quote based on the same situation.... The only weird thing is that the technician in NJ said the frame lines are "hanging a bit low." They're sending me the camera anyway because we're leaving for vacation this weekend but they said they want to do a full replacement on the camera when we get back. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Funny how perspective changed after you learned that the first service issue (back-focusing) wasn't really botched. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
120 Posted July 30, 2013 Share #75 Posted July 30, 2013 That is not borne out by facts. Jaap, I found this lens has some shift, the same in two copies. What facts are you referring to...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danedit28 Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share #76 Posted July 31, 2013 And your earlier quote based on the same situation.... Funny how perspective changed after you learned that the first service issue (back-focusing) wasn't really botched. Jeff Sorry if I'm not understanding... My older question was intended to inquire as to whether anyone had ever heard of the frameline module being vertically displaced? So when I said "has anyone ever heard of such a thing?" I was trying to refer to if anyone had ever experienced a frameline malfunction. And again, forgive me if I'm still misunderstanding... the first service issue of the camera having a misaligned rangefinder did exist. The rangefinder was out of alignment and it was fixed. Anyway, I appreciate everyone chiming in with their thoughts and ideas during this process! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaques Posted July 31, 2013 Share #77 Posted July 31, 2013 I just an m240 and I was surprised to see the framelines were much dimmer on the left hand side of the frame... I noticed this issue a few tims but at others it seemingly disappeared. Then I realised that if I jiggle the lens around when mounting it the frames appear correctly. I am hoping this is just a tightness in the mount that will settle over time... anyone else experienced this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 31, 2013 Share #78 Posted July 31, 2013 Sorry if I'm not understanding... My older question was intended to inquire as to whether anyone had ever heard of the frameline module being vertically displaced? So when I said "has anyone ever heard of such a thing?" I was trying to refer to if anyone had ever experienced a frameline malfunction. And again, forgive me if I'm still misunderstanding... the first service issue of the camera having a misaligned rangefinder did exist. The rangefinder was out of alignment and it was fixed. Anyway, I appreciate everyone chiming in with their thoughts and ideas during this process! It is a mechanical thingy so it is not impossible for it to malfunction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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