CLA cost for MATE

[Kiwimac]

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Does anyone have any idea how much a CLA in Germany for a late model MATE might cost?

 

 My dealer here has one which is generally in good order but he thinks it would benefit from a CLA but says he’s never sent one before.

 

 It’s a commission sale so he suggested putting an offer in but without knowing whether a CLA is likely to be $1000, $2000 etc it’s hard to pitch the offer. 

[rtai]

I sent my silver 35mm Summilux Pre FLE to Leica NJ last year for 6 bit coding and helicoil lubrication and the total was over $750 before tax so for something complicated like the WATE I imagine it can cost much more than that. It was an expensive lens so I let them do it. If I had declined the quote they would have sent it back no charge so it was fair. The other brands charge an inspection fee. For a 50mm Summicron DAG did the same thing for less than half. You can call DAG for a general quote.

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[Kiwimac]

Here in NZ there’s a $250 quote fee from Leica which is charged if you do not have the work done. 

[ocean2059]

I have sent my MATE to DAG for a focus adjustment and 6-bit coding back in 2019 and the total cost was $280. He did an excellent job and I highly recommend that you send him an email to inquire if he is willing to do a CLA service. He has always been pretty good with emails and I usually receive replies from him within 24 hours.  

[Kiwimac]

Does he accept work from NZ?

[jaapv]

On 2/14/2023 at 5:44 AM, Kiwimac said:

Here in NZ there’s a $250 quote fee from Leica which is charged if you do not have the work done. 

Do you have to send it through Leica? You can also send to Wetzlar directly.

[Al Brown]

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CLA in Germany is anything between 240-500 euros, depending on what Leica "finds" in your lens. They do make sure they find it all, so it helps telling them what exactly you presume needs to be done to reduce the cost. My latest experience there with 24 lux was on the lower cost side because I told them ecactly what I needed adjusted.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Al Brown

[Kiwimac]

I have not seen the lens - it is in Auckland and I am in Christchurch so not really possible. The dealer (who I know and trust) described it thus:

 

"Hood is a little beaten up.

There’s some paint loss on the front rim of the lens where the hood clips on.

Glass is good. Focus is buttery like new, but 'zoom' is not the smoothest."

 

[Ecar]

On 2/15/2023 at 10:38 AM, Kiwimac said:

Glass is good. Focus is buttery like new, but 'zoom' is not the smoothest."

Switching F/L is always a bit clunky on these lenses - and needs to be done with a bit of care. The question is whether it's clunkier than other copies, in which case it may need extra repair. Bear in mind that, unlike the WATE, the MATE is not a 'zoom' construction and is mechanically a very complex lens - arguably one of the most complex ever made by Leica. Repairs/adjustments can therefore be more expensive than for simpler ones.

On a separate note, if you are going to have it CLA'd, you may want to have it 6-bit coded if it's not already. An alternative approach is to send it in for coding, which usually involves Leica checking the proper operation/adjustment of the lens at no extra cost - and wait for their feedback. FWIW, that's what I did several years ago and my MATE came back like new for the (then modest) price of a coding service. No parts replacements were required, though, and I may have just been lucky.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Ecar
spelling

[wizard]

vor 23 Stunden schrieb Kiwimac:

Glass is good. Focus is buttery like new, but 'zoom' is not the smoothest.

Zoom has never been the snoothest with that lens, due to the many parts getting shifted around in the lens when changing the focal length.

My own MATE is from 2001, and it works just the same as when it was brand new. I suggest you simply leave the lens as it is and use it, I am pretty sure it will not require a CLA anytime soon. Try to get it at a good price and you will be fine.

[Jeff S]

Cost depends on any specific issues found for that lens, which has an extremely complicated design. I bought a used MATE  from Leica Miami, a dealer that inspects all used inventory and sends to Leica or to DAG for any service needs before listing for sale.  When I bought it, it came with a full report from Wetzlar listing all repairs, costs and total charges to the dealer. It was warranted by Leica and by the dealer. I don’t mind spending a bit more from a reputable dealer, without worry or guesswork.

Jeff

Edited February 16, 2023 by Jeff S

[Rick in CO]

Sent mine in almost 2 years ago to the date and it cost $366.66 for 6-bit conversion plus CLA.  Had to go to Germany from NJ.  Very much worth it!

[Kiwimac]

2 hours ago, Rick in CO said:

Sent mine in almost 2 years ago to the date and it cost $366.66 for 6-bit conversion plus CLA.  Had to go to Germany from NJ.  Very much worth it!

Thanks. 
 

This particular one is coded already so it’s probably from later production. 
 

The dealer is trying to contact the seller to discuss price. 

[Jeff S]

4 hours ago, Kiwimac said:

Thanks. 
 

This particular one is coded already so it’s probably from later production. 
 

The dealer is trying to contact the seller to discuss price. 

Mine was also coded, but Wetzlar charges to dealer were more than twice that amount.  Case by case, depending on any issues.

Jeff

[Kiwimac]

So the seller will accept very slightly less than the original asking price. He will accept the equivalent of USD3,300.

If I budget another USD1,000 for any repair work etc (and hope to spend less obviously) it would stand me in at USD4300.

I'll have to think about that; its about 2/3 of the cost of a brand new 35 Summilux FLEii or 60% of the cost of a 28 Summilux, both of which are much better optics.'

 

[Jeff S]

One either wants the MATE, considering all of its pros and cons, or not. Here’s a perspective from one past forum member…

https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/11/11/the-leica-mate-lens-review-medium-angle-tri-elmar-by-ashwin-rao/?amp=1
 

Jeff

[wizard]

vor 16 Stunden schrieb Kiwimac:

This particular one is coded already so it’s probably from later production. 

No, to the best of my knowledge, production of that lens stopped before coding was introduced. That means that "your" lens has been coded separately, and was most likely inspected at that time. Also, when Leica codes a previously uncoded lens, they will precisely adjust it to match factory specs. All of that means that "your" lens was checked much more recently than its manufacturing date or serial number may suggest. 

[Jeff S]

There were also 3 versions… see link above for differences, item #’s, etc

Jeff

[andybarton]

Have a look at the cross-section through a MATE lens. How anyone begins to start to design such a lens is completely beyond me. It's an absolutely incredible piece of engineering, but it's no wonder that it's a little bit "clunky" when changing focal lengths. There's a lot of stuff inside to move about.

 

https://www.leicastoresf.com/blog/thumb-prints-signatures-the-leica

 

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[wizard]

vor 19 Stunden schrieb Rick in CO:

Sent mine in almost 2 years ago to the date and it cost $366.66 for 6-bit conversion plus CLA. ....  Very much worth it!

As I am still somewhat reluctant to have my own MATE coded, could you be so kind and elaborate a bit more on why coding a MATE is worthwhile? From what I understand, the MATE may only be coded as, for example, a 35mm lens, and whenever the focal length setting is changed to 28mm or 50mm, one would have to manually alter in the menu the focal length assigned to an image by the camera. Is that true? That is, does your MATE correctly show up as 28, 35 and 50mm lens, respectively, in the images taken with that lens, depending on which focal length setting was used? Or does it always show up as a, say, 35mm lens unless you change that manually if needed?