New leica m-a with cosmetic issues

[Cam_Han]

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[Huss]

I see the pics, but perhaps you can state what the cosmetic issues are?  I don’t see any.

[pedaes]

Looking at your previous Posts you seem to have a thing about imperfections. I think I do see what you are referring to (rough bubbly patches), but I would guess just a 'feature' of the new black finish.

As the best e-bayers say "Will not affect photographs".

Edited July 8, 2023 by pedaes

[Cam_Han]

6 minutes ago, Huss said:

I see the pics, but perhaps you can state what the cosmetic issues are?  I don’t see any.

haha yes, I did not notice these either when I was in the store. In the first pic the paint in letters "1" and "2" on the shutter dial is leaking out a bit, and in the 2nd and the 3rd the paint has a bit of unevenness that is hard to describe. I happen to own an M4 with almost exactly the same paint issue on its backplate as in the 2nd picture. Not issues i would file a return for, just a bit disappointed is all.

[FrozenInTime]

@Cam_Han try cleaning with a drop of isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud or a lens cleaning tissue - this might allow you to clean the paint smudges on the shutter speed dial and any surface marks.

 

[Cam_Han]

2 minutes ago, pedaes said:

Looking at your previous Posts you seem to have a thing about imperfections. I think I do see what you are referring to, but I would guess just a 'feature' of the new black finish.

As the best e-bayers say "Will not affect photographs"

That is true. And it is for that reason I ended up buying a new MA. I never noticed anything like this with mass-produced modern digital cameras from Nikon or Sony, but then again perhaps the handmade nature of M cameras means there would always be some imperfections. It's just that the price and the praise a new MA or MP receives online made me delusional, being called "mechanical perfection" and all. I just thought that it would be nice for fellow detail-obsessed buyers like myself to see that its not a singular case.

[pedaes]

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3 minutes ago, pedaes said:

(rough bubbly patches)

Ooop's - not that then. You can probably clean off what you don't like with a spot of IPA on a cotton bud. Don't flood it though, or if it worries you, and is likely to keep bothering you, take it back.

[Cam_Han]

Just now, FrozenInTime said:

@Cam_Han try cleaning with a drop of isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud or a lens cleaning tissue - this might allow you to clean the paint smudges on the shutter speed dial and any surface marks.

 

Thanks for the advice! I will try that. I do find the black chrome finish to be particularly hard to clean, there always seems to be a bit of color difference around parts such as the flash sync port or the shutter dial. I will get used to it eventually. Silver chrome just makes cameras look so incredibly clean!

[pedaes]

No, not a singular case. I have in the past opted to live with marks, brightspots on chrome finish comes to mind, that I would prefer not to be there. 

You have the advantage that it is a supplementary part that is easy to change. See if camera works ok, and if it has to go for adjustment they can swap dial at same time.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Edited July 8, 2023 by pedaes

[CSG123]

For what Leica charges, there should be zero tolerance for cosmetic imperfections.  The shutter speed dial, in particular, is incredibly sloppy.  Don't the new cameras come with signatures of their inspectors?  While I own a lovely 1967 M4, I would never consider a new Leica these days.  Too many reported issues and too long for warranty issues to be repaired properly.  Just my opinion, others will have theirs.

Edited July 8, 2023 by CSGreene

[Cam_Han]

Just now, pedaes said:

No, not a singular case. I have in the past opted to live with marks, brightspots on chrome finish comes to mind, that I would prefer not to be there. 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

I agree. It just bothered me a bit to see these things on a new camera that I bought for mostly superficial reasons (black chrome is just so beautiful). Also, I did buy this camera with a pretty decent discount from an unauthorized dealer, and there is also some dust in the viewfinder so it might not really be brand-new (otherwise it looks to be unused). I'll forget all about it after shooting a few rolls. 

[pedaes]

2 minutes ago, Cam_Han said:

unauthorized dealer

It will still have Warranty. Register it on the main Leica website.

[darlesch]

Hey Cam_Han,

My new M-A had the EXACT same paint job quality on the shutter dial in the exact same spots. However, it was incredibly easy to fix. I used a tooth pick to lightly scrape off the excess paint on the 1 second speed and the 1/2 second speed indicator. I didn't think to use isopropyl alcohol like others mentioned here. I kept my copy and I am quite happy with it.

[Cam_Han]

5 minutes ago, CSGreene said:

For what Leica charges, there should be zero tolerance for cosmetic imperfections.  The shutter speed dial, in particular, is incredibly sloppy.  Don't the new cameras come with signatures of their inspectors?  While I own a lovely 1967 M4, I would never consider a new Leica these days.  Too many reported issues and too long for warranty issues to be repaired properly.  Just my opinion, others will have theirs.

Yes, it is quite upsetting to see these issues. I bought mine at a huge discount with all the proper packaging and documents, the signatures from inspectors look to be handwritten as well. To be fair i didn't notice these flaws either when i was in the store, just wanted to put this out there for potential buyers to be aware of

[Cam_Han]

2 minutes ago, pedaes said:

It will still have Warranty. Register it on the main Leica website.

right! Thanks for reminding me. I also plan to go to Germany this summer so I might as well bring the ma with me to Wetzlar and see my options. Would I need to bring all the packaging with me if I were to do this? Thanks again for all the comments, it is nice to have such a vibrant community.

[Cam_Han]

4 minutes ago, darlesch said:

Hey Cam_Han,

My new M-A had the EXACT same paint job quality on the shutter dial in the exact same spots. However, it was incredibly easy to fix. I used a tooth pick to lightly scrape off the excess paint on the 1 second speed and the 1/2 second speed indicator. I didn't think to use isopropyl alcohol like others mentioned here. I kept my copy and I am quite happy with it.

Thank you, that is nice to know. I will try that if it still bothers me after a while, don't want to risk scraping off more paint with rough craft of my own

[darlesch]

7 minutes ago, Cam_Han said:

Thank you, that is nice to know. I will try that if it still bothers me after a while, don't want to risk scraping off more paint with rough craft of my own

Absolutely makes sense. If you go to Germany wetzlar store they can fix the engraving on the spot.

Black chrome M-A truly is special and will continue to be down the road as long as Leica continues with their new M11 finish.

[Huss]

1 hour ago, Cam_Han said:

haha yes, I did not notice these either when I was in the store. In the first pic the paint in letters "1" and "2" on the shutter dial is leaking out a bit, and in the 2nd and the 3rd the paint has a bit of unevenness that is hard to describe. I happen to own an M4 with almost exactly the same paint issue on its backplate as in the 2nd picture. Not issues i would file a return for, just a bit disappointed is all.

Ah, ok!  Yeah I see what you mean about the paint run over.  That is super sloppy and just points to Leica's current non existent quality control.  This made me check my M-A and I'm glad to see it is not like that!  But as others have said the fix is easy.  Try the wood tooth pick thing first, as that will not damage anything and there is no risk of unintentionally removing other paint.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[ktmrider2]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  It is a camera, not a piece of jewelry!

Edited July 8, 2023 by ktmrider2

[Pyrogallol]

But at jewellery prices you should expect perfection.