Summilux-M 24mm with stiff focus ring, can it be repaired?

[MrFriendly]

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I have a Summilux-M 24mm with a stiff focus ring.  As the focus ring approaches the 0.7m-0.8m, the stiffness increases, sometimes to the point where it's very hard to turn it.  This only happens when the camera is either pointing down or leveled, which is most of the time when I shoot.  If I point it up, the stiffness goes away, specially near the 0.7m-0.8m region.  I bought this lens used, so I don't know what it was like brand new, but none of my other lenses have this kind of issue.  Also, sometimes the aperture ring sticks.  Is this by design, or is something wrong and needs to be serviced?

I decided to send it in to Leica USA for service.  I was expecting it to take many weeks or months, but I got it back in less than two weeks, which was a bit of a surprise, TBH.  I checked the invoice, and it had listed all the issues I had described to them, as above, but the amount charged was only couple dollars.  I checked the lens, and nothing had changed 😔.  I emailed them, and got a response from NJ saying that It seems the stiffness in the focusing ring is due to design of the lens. This cannot be corrected.

I wanted a second opinion from Germany, so I emailed them, but instead I got a response back from NJ saying that I can send the lens in for service (I suppose my email got forwarded to NJ???).  I explained to them, the Customer Care person in NJ, that I had just received the lens back from them, and they responded back telling me the same story about how it's by design.  Again I tried to explain to them the issue, and they finally responded by saying: we can certainly have it come back in to us here and then send it to the factory on your behalf.

 I hate to say this, but I've learned not to trust NJ because they've been wrong before on couple of lens/camera issues.  I also don't want to send it in, and have it be gone for months for nothing.  Can anyone confirm if this by design or not?  Will they be able to fix it, or am I wasting my time?

 

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[Jeff S]

Some years ago, Leica NJ tried but couldn’t fix the sticky focus action on my 50 Summilux ASPH.  So I sent it to Don Goldberg (DAG) and he had it back to me in under two weeks, focusing smoothly, for $90, including return shipping.

Jeff

[jaeger]

19 minutes ago, MrFriendly said:

not to trust NJ because they've been wrong

be gone for months for nothing

👍 it has concluded everything we need to know.

Edited September 18, 2021 by jaeger