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Don does excellent work. He answers the phone. He is a nice guy. He is not expensive. He will do things Leica won't (although that range is narrowing). He's lightning-fast —sometimes. I have no argument with any of these points. I have experienced them all firsthand. If he gets around to doing the work, it is godlike and definitive. If.

Good to be Retired, posts like yours tend to reinforce the feelings of puzzlement on the part of people whose repairs take many, many months.

D

 

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My experience with Don is excellent.  I email a note to Don with my name, address, phone number, and the specific problem with the piece of equipment.  I also ask him to give me the estimated turnaround time and for a quote for the repair so I can include CASH payment and a return Fed Ex label.  I also include in the box a printed copy of the email correspondence  Never needed anything except a CLA and I received the equipment back in within two weeks.  

Don said he gets a lot of packages with notes saying things like "look it over and call me with your quote".  Sometimes people forget to include a phone number.  

If you want efficient service you should make things on your end as simple as possible.

Ray

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/13/2020 at 7:15 AM, rcusick said:

I'm going on seven months and waiting for a repair from Leica.  Just saying...

Leica NJ has been repairing my stuff for the last year and a half. I gave them a shot after hearing horror stories, and have had everything back with 3 weeks or less. 
 

7 months is insane. I’d be calling and emailing daily if I was in that position. 

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On 9/10/2020 at 5:33 PM, logan2z said:

Thanks for the info. So it sounds like Don did his best to repair the shutter and only charged the amount for his standard CLA, which was performed. Disappointing about the shutter but at least you were only charged for the work completed.  

I am curious about the relative cost of DAG and YYE CLAs.  Does Don perform services as part of his CLAs that YYE does not?  It seems like he charges about 2x the cost of a YYE CLA.  Perhaps that's because he's factory trained and YYE is not.  Or perhaps he does a more extensive service. 

Several years ago I had a full engine rebuild done on a 1987 Porsche 911. Around the same time, a friend of mine also had a rebuild done on his 1987 911, at a different shop, but in the same area. His final bill was significantly less than mine.  When we compared the itemized list of work done there were quite a few more items addressed during my rebuild.  So all "rebuilds" are not created equal and I'm wondering if the same is true of CLAs. 

Or Don just charges more :)

 

I’d like to think YYE charges less 😜.

I look to YYE for simple CLAs and repairs. For anything complicated, Youxin himself will tell you to send it to Don.

I’ve had mostly great and couple bad experiences with BOTH of them. They are human, after all, but irreplaceable in my Leica universe. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was just talking/emailing with Don at DAG…. he said he had bought ALL the Leitz Canada Repair-&-Parts department stock - so anyone needing even the oldest parts will probably find them here.  I hope it is ok to leave his url.  

https://www.dagcamera.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

I am thinking that this is a needed parts supply for those on Leica Forum not salesmanship.  I wait for the judgement of the powers that be on Leica Forum...

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited by Tom1234
to clean up alignment of picture & paragraph
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You’d hardly be the first.  Don’s long time business is called DAG Camera Parts, and has been referenced here frequently.  He fixed my 50 Summilux ASPH using his decades old supply Leitz grease. Old parts or new parts, always great service. 
 

Jeff

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
On 11/17/2020 at 9:23 PM, thatkatmat said:

Just sent my 75mm summilux in to overhaul the focus system - $165.00+ shipping. pretty darn reasonable if you ask me. I'll post when I get it back.

Don did the same for mine.  Works fine now.

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22 minutes ago, jaeger said:

Is it possible I can drop my lenses off at DAG in person and wait for few days?  I don't feel comfortable mailing expensive lenses...   

I believe that on his website he explicitly states that dropping off / picking up  in person is not an option.

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22 minutes ago, jaeger said:

Is it possible I can drop my lenses off at DAG in person and wait for few days?  I don't feel comfortable mailing expensive lenses...   

Call him and ask.  

Or carry personal insurance, which can cover virtually all circumstances beyond warranty, including loss or theft.

Jeff
 

 

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I think he's incredibly busy at the moment.  He usually responds within a day when I send a request for quote, this time it's been almost a week with no reply.  He is in high demand it seems!

I've got a couple classic Leitz lenses that require CLA and he's really the only person I've ever trusted to do the work.

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Just got my 75 Summilux back from Don. It took 7 weeks in total from the day I shipped it to him. (I'm in Seattle)

Six bit coding -$285

Overhaul Focus system- $165

Shipping back to me -$38

The lens is brilliant now. I feel really fortunate to now have someone that I trust to send my lenses to. (It's hard seeing a piece of 6K$ glass gone for 2 mos, but worth it)

 

Edited by thatkatmat
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