Is this acceptable for a new Leica M-A?

[MarcoIT]

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On 8/4/2021 at 10:25 AM, pedaes said:

Could be a popular service😀

Your English is good - that phrase just amused me.

😄

[kivis]

Did someone say these are hand built?

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[kivis]

I bought my M-A (and all my other Leica stuff) from a super accommodating dealer (Leica Miami). They would definitely give me a new one, just for asking. But then I might have to wait if they are out of stock (a most likely scenario, even for them). So good luck on whatever you decide to do.

[Vlad Soare]

  

4 minutes ago, kivis said:

Did someone say these are hand built?

That's not necessarily a good thing. As a famous car journalist I happen to hold in high regard used to say, saying that a car is hand-built is just another way of saying that the door handles will fall off. 
I guess this could apply to cameras as well...

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by Vlad Soare

[kivis]

1 minute ago, Vlad Soare said:

  

That's not necessarily a good thing. As a famous car journalist I happen to hold in high regard used to say, saying that a car is hand-built is just another way of saying that the door handles will fall off. 
I guess this could apply to cameras as well...

 

LOL, Was just a cheap defense of the "Leica Mystique"

[Vlad Soare]

I know. I was just kidding.
Indeed, knowing that your beloved toy was hand-built is nice and is worth the extra hassle with occasional assembly issues.

 

[Helge]

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Sure, manufacturing products in a manufactory has advantages and disadvantages. A lot of those depend on the production volume. Normally you wouldn’t produce a large volume product by hand and it also doesn‘t pay-off usually to produce a small volume product (like the film Leica) on a fully automated line, just for cost reasons.

You get quality issue in both non-recommended ways.

[Technician]

On 5/5/2021 at 5:41 PM, Stuart Richardson said:

People say "at the price we pay etc", but also fail to account that this is one of the reasons why the price is so high...that people are returning so many cameras for tiny cosmetic variations.

There's an anecdote.

90's for the Porsche were the worst period ever. They almost filed for bankruptcy. When Porsche executives asked Toyota to come and help in establishing the proper conveyor line and teaching the workers the proper workflow, one particular Toyota specialist literally said that people at Porsche were no better than apes. He meant that the working process was so appalling that in the age of computerisation, when the robots rule supreme, Porsche still were making cars to fit — no body panels were ever perfectly the same size! Imagine buying spare parts for your expensive sports car that don't fit!

Lesson to learn: it's always the question of will to improve. Someone always does it better.

[lct]

Mainly a matter of quality control if you ask me.

[leica-curious]

On 8/4/2021 at 7:24 AM, Budfox said:

I am wondering - is there an end to this story. What did you decide to do in the end?

I appreciate the l-camera-forum community members sharing thoughts around my concern. I appreciate the diversity of the replies and those that pushed me to not accept the condition. What I didn't state in the original post was that the well known dealer didn't want to return this camera because they already exchanged a previous camera. They admitted the defects on the first were unacceptable, but decided I was being too picky expressing concerns on the second camera.

I contacted Leica US customer service and explained the issue and they agreed take a look. The US technician inspected the camera and stated that it functions and the nick is okay, that the film won't hit it. However, they would reach out to Germany if I was not satisfied. Unnecessary weeks delay due to email issues, but the camera finally went off to Germany with an estimated 6-8 weeks for repair. I didn't hear anything by week 8 so I reached out. Two days later a camera showed up at my door. They sent me a new camera under goodwill since it was not economical to repair my camera. The new MA still had some abrasions on the upper film rail guide, but overall was in better condition with no nick in the rails.

I found it odd that the pressure plate was no longer a smooth, flat piece of metal. Instead the plate is covered in what feels like a thin piece of plastic. I asked about the change and was informed this is the new style being produced. I'm not fond of the appearance of the plastic over the traditional metal plate. Is there any literature on the pressure plate change? I didn't see it mentioned anywhere when I checked after receiving the MA.

I'm very happy to have an MA back in my hands. I dreamt of shooting with this camera for years and it really brings me much joy to finally have the opportunity to be taking photographs with it.

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Edited December 2, 2021 by leica-curious

[a.noctilux]

Very curious press plate.

I've never seen one like this.

The plastic covering may be there to prevent the plate metal touching the film rails ?

Not likely.

 

Have you asked Leica if this peels off before use ?

[leica-curious]

Yes, I followed up with support. They reached out to Germany and said that this is the new style being produced. Given the change I was surprised to no find discussion on it. I have film loaded otherwise I would inspect it again, but I believe it felt thicker than some sort of peel off protective film, and seemed bonded to the plate. I was hoping the l-camera-forum would know more.

Edited December 2, 2021 by leica-curious

[labyrinth]

Looks like an old design pressure plate. My 2003 MP has similar pattern.

Here is a picture from eBay for 2004 MP

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[leica-curious]

4 hours ago, labyrinth said:

Looks like an old design pressure plate. My 2003 MP has similar pattern.

Here is a picture from eBay for 2004 MP

The plate in the photo you shared appears to be metal. As I recall mine felt like a piece of plastic over a metal plate. It struck me as out of place given the MA construction. I'd like to have the original, flat plate, but at this point I'm just focusing on using the camera. When I finish the role of film I have loaded I'll take a better photograph and share it.

Edited December 3, 2021 by leica-curious

[labyrinth]

6 hours ago, leica-curious said:

The plate in the photo you shared appears to be metal. As I recall mine felt like a piece of plastic over a metal plate. It struck me as out of place given the MA construction. I'd like to have the original, flat plate, but at this point I'm just focusing on using the camera. When I finish the role of film I have loaded I'll take a better photograph and share it.

I see. Probably it's not just plastic but some type of PTFE to minimize friction