Is it too much to ask? ( long rant )

[hankg]

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Well marry a 50 year old optical-mechanical focusing system designed for film to digital and you can expect some issues. Hopefully Leica can put some of that digital technology and lens expertise to work improving the focusing system while preserving the ergonomics that make it so compelling.

[psquared]

Well marry a 50 year old optical-mechanical focusing system designed for film to digital and you can expect some issues. Hopefully Leica can put some of that digital technology and lens expertise to work improving the focusing system while preserving the ergonomics that make it so compelling.

 

The system may be more than 50 years old, but it can still work wonderfully. What Leica are not doing in some cases is paying attention to the details, whether it's in the factory or the repair shop.

 

Here's my story.

 

The rangefinder on my M8 was off. I could get it to work with 35 lux asph and 90 AA or 50 lux asph and 90AA by adjusting the infinity setting ... but not all three. I sent the whole lot to NJ. I got them back some months later (the M8 needed the shutter replaced and had gone to Solms), the lenses first. I tried the lenses on another M8, and they worked fine. When I got the M8 back, making sure before I got it back that the rangefinder was adjusted, the rangefinder problem was still there. I sent the M8 back. After some weeks, I got a request to send the lenses back. I did. A week later, I got the M8 back ... but I had no lenses. When I called, they told me that they'll look at the lenses and send them back to me in a few weeks. I asked them to send the lenses back now, as they had been checked before and that they worked fine on another body. When I got the lenses back and checked on my M8, the rangefinder was still out. When I turn the focus ring to infinity on the 35 and 50, the moon was coincident. On the 90, it was way off the mark. I didn't want to send the whole lot off to NJ again for another few weeks. I even considered doing it locally at a shop, even though the body and the lenses were under warranty. I just bit the bullet and ajusted both near and infinity focus myself (after reading Carsten's post several times). It took an afternoon and part of that night to do it, but now I can use all three lenses, plus the 24/2.8 asph and CV15 with confidence.

 

If I can do this job at home with an Allen wrench and a screwdriver, why can't the much better trained and equipped technicians at Leica do it? I don't think it's the old technology of the rangefinder. It's the attention to details.

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[Guest stnami]

..... stop the winge and learn how to use a bit of bent technology, no big deal

[AGeoJO]

Fursan,

I am really sorry to hear your problems with the QC or lack thereof of your gear. I consider myself very, very lucky that my M8 and all seven lenses, so far, have been right on the money. I do have the 35mm Summilux ASPH, a lens that is reported to have focus shift. I don't want to find out how bad the focus shift is, if any, on that lens. I have used that lens quite a bit and happy with the results and that's what's counts. Before too long, I hope you will get this QC issue straighten out soon. Hangin' in there, buddy.

[fursan]

hello Joshua,

 

Am glad that your system works fine. the only gripe i have is that we congratulate

one another if it works fine! this is twisted logic..no? it should work fine without the

hassle.

 

I guess the trial and tribulations of those, like me, should be relegated to the annals

of dslr users moving to the first digital rf system by leica.

 

whoever said it must have been frustrated...it is not the destination, but the excitement

and thrills of the journey:) . that is the logic i am becoming used to. think of it, enjoying

it too in a perverse sort of way.

 

Best.

 

Fursan,

I am really sorry to hear your problems with the QC or lack thereof of your gear. I consider myself very, very lucky that my M8 and all seven lenses, so far, have been right on the money. I do have the 35mm Summilux ASPH, a lens that is reported to have focus shift. I don't want to find out how bad the focus shift is, if any, on that lens. I have used that lens quite a bit and happy with the results and that's what's counts. Before too long, I hope you will get this QC issue straighten out soon. Hangin' in there, buddy.

[tom0511]

.... A friend used to tell me the old adage.....if the horse bucks you-get right back on it and ride. This could apply here. Thanks for listening and no offense to anyone who reads this....Brad

 

The funny thing is that in my case the operator error is allways in the same direction, front focus with my Noctilux and backfocus with my 50asph. Kind of interesting, isnt it?

[bradreiman]

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The funny thing is that in my case the operator error is allways in the same direction, front focus with my Noctilux and backfocus with my 50asph. Kind of interesting, isnt it?

 

not really that interesting although everything is relative. i guess compared to say women's shoes your situation is interesting but compared to, hmmm the history book I'm reading at the moment-not so interesting. obviously some lenses are miscalibrated and some rangefinders may be misaligned, all I'm saying is that with the amount of people having problems focussing the m8 I'd bet a large percentage have their internal rangefinder misaligned. heck even you might be blowing focus consistently in one direction with the noct and the other with the summilux. someone here wants mirror lock-up on their m8, should I be surprised if people new to Leica can't focus a rangefinder properly?

[tom0511]

not really that interesting although everything is relative. i guess compared to say women's shoes your situation is interesting but compared to, hmmm the history book I'm reading at the moment-not so interesting. obviously some lenses are miscalibrated and some rangefinders may be misaligned, all I'm saying is that with the amount of people having problems focussing the m8 I'd bet a large percentage have their internal rangefinder misaligned. heck even you might be blowing focus consistently in one direction with the noct and the other with the summilux. someone here wants mirror lock-up on their m8, should I be surprised if people new to Leica can't focus a rangefinder properly?

 

Nothing wrong with saying that user error is also one reason for wrong focused images. However I just had the impression that you were kind of suggesting that many of the problems discussed in this thread were caused by user error.

I would think that most of the people here could find out if their problem is caused by user error or caused by missaligned lens and/or camera.

 

And before we heard the user error theory we heard the "people who dont know how to use a 2mm Allen key are not ready for manual camera"-theory.

This theories kind of lead to an idea, that you didnt really believe people posting here know what they are talking about.

You said you dont want to offense people but suggested they are not able to focus correctly and just think that the camera is the reason. What do you expect?

 

.... should I be surprised if people new to Leica can't focus a rangefinder properly?

Whats so difficult??? you have two images which you need to allign.

[charlesphoto99]

The system may be more than 50 years old, but it can still work wonderfully. What Leica are not doing in some cases is paying attention to the details, whether it's in the factory or the repair shop.

 

 

Like when they put a 24mm mount on my 28mm 'Cron that I sent in for coding. How hard is it to make sure you have the right mount on before sending it out the door? I totally agree with the above statement.

 

I find the QC and build of the M8 to be somewhat sub-par to that of my M7. Really hard to put your finger on what it is exactly, but one just needs to have both in hand to tell. The 7 just feels more "tight." Anyway, I think Leica are overwhelmed in the repair/service dept and the QC issues of the M8 caught them with their pants down, so to speak. I'm waiting for my M8 to return with a sticky frame line repair and calibration. Crossing my fingers. I didn't even tell them about the occasional lock-ups it has - I figure at this point that's just the way the camera sometimes behaves (it usually happens if I press too many buttons while it is writing to the card).

 

And yes, us Americans tend to whinge more - partailly because it's a very slow boat Leica operates from the west coast of America to Solms (umm, possibly because it's not just their rangefinder system that's more than 50 years old!).