Astounded and livid at the advice I have received from Leica CS

[scott kirkpatrick]

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Paul,

 

 I too have watched with awe, Lens Rentals' videos of their disassembly of lenses. What of course, you will never see, is a video of them failing with a lens and sweeping a bench-full of half assembled bits into the trash can.

 

Wilson

I passed your comment along to Roger Cicala.  He responds that two or three times in about a thousand teardowns they have torn a flex or done some damage that the manufacturer had to repair with a new part, but they never end up with screws left over or anything for the trash can.  They do about 50% of their repairs in house at LensRentals.

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[mhoutman]

As I own the CL with 18-56mm kit (in one box) I will ask Leica Support when the lens  with # 4353421 was made.

 

Very interesting if it is true Leica had so many 18-56 mm stock which they include with the CL kit.

 

 ​That said, I understood Leica first shipped the CL with 18mm as kit and only weeks later with the 18-56mm. That crosses the theory they have so many 18-56 mm in stock..or they  were waiting for the 18-56mm kit boxes .

[scott kirkpatrick]

As I own the CL with 18-56mm kit (in one box) I will ask Leica Support when the lens  with # 4353421 was made.

 

Very interesting if it is true Leica had so many 18-56 mm stock which they include with the CL kit.

 

 ​That said, I understood Leica first shipped the CL with 18mm as kit and only weeks later with the 18-56mm. That crosses the theory they have so many 18-56 mm in stock..or they  were waiting for the 18-56mm kit boxes .

This line of investigation is getting a little silly.  Only a company as secretive as Leica would keep it alive.  If you can get a serial number date from Leica Customer Support and compare it with the packing date on the box and the date on the inspection certificate with signature that comes with the lens (do they still do that?), please let us know all three dates.  

 

The Vario-TL lenses are all of unusual quality, and Leica people who co-developed them with the unnamed Japanese partner have every right to be proud of them.  That may have colored their inventory order for the not very glamorous 18-53 focal length.

[mhoutman]

This line of investigation is getting a little silly.  Only a company as secretive as Leica would keep it alive.  If you can get a serial number date from Leica Customer Support and compare it with the packing date on the box and the date on the inspection certificate with signature that comes with the lens (do they still do that?), please let us know all three dates.  

 

The Vario-TL lenses are all of unusual quality, and Leica people who co-developed them with the unnamed Japanese partner have every right to be proud of them.  That may have colored their inventory order for the not very glamorous 18-53 focal length.

 

I got the info from Wetzlar that my lens was made in November 2017

[wlaidlaw]

I will receive new replacement body and lens kit from Ffordes on Wednesday. A big thank you is due to Steve Byford at Ffordes for lobbying on my behalf. People have asked why in the south of England, I always use a dealer in the north of Scotland. Service like this is why. A happy ending.   

 

Wilson

[lx1713]

I will receive new replacement body and lens kit from Ffordes on Wednesday. A big thank you is due to Steve Byford at Ffordes for lobbying on my behalf. People have asked why in the south of England, I always use a dealer in the north of Scotland. Service like this is why. A happy ending.   

 

Wilson

 

 

If you are willing to go the extra mile for a dealer so far off, he probably thinks you are worth working hard for. It's a two way street for any relationship to work well.

[wlaidlaw]

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Sadly I suspect my CL - Zoom kit is snowed in at some airport en route from Wetzlar. It has not even reached Ffordes yet to send on to me. 

 

Wilson

[scott kirkpatrick]

I got the info from Wetzlar that my lens was made in November 2017

I just got a used (mint) TL 35 SX, originally purchased for use on a CL, which means that it was bought in the last few months.  It has a manufacture and inspection date of Nov 2016.  It seems to be working just fine.