Out of focus

[Daniel Ortego]

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Just received a replacement 28-cron’ due to a quite crooked lens Hood Mount (accessory carrier). It did however focus great. The new lens has turned out to be a huge disappointment, as it will not focus period! Took various shots at every conceivable setting but no luck. Tried a tripod and still fuzzy as hell. Can’t quite understand how I could receive two defective lenses back to back. Are Leica lenses really this hit and miss or is my experience considered truly unusual.

Regards,

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[jaapv]

I should have a strong word with your dealer. These things must have received hard knocks in transit. Each lens is (supposed to be) individually checked upon leaving the factory.

[luigi bertolotti]

Wasn't there a famous movie, lot of years ago, titled "A train to Yuma ?" Not so better today, I'd say... Sorry to joke on your serious problem, but I think the travel process is to be cursed... I hope Leica factory hasn't yet started to deliver lenses that don't focus AT ALL...

[Daniel Ortego]

Wasn't there a famous movie, lot of years ago, titled "A train to Yuma ?" Not so better today, I'd say... Sorry to joke on your serious problem, but I think the travel process is to be cursed... I hope Leica factory hasn't yet started to deliver lenses that don't focus AT ALL...

 

Actually, I wish I could say that I’m may be exaggerating or that I suffer from OCD but the fact remains, the second lens is completely unusable where as the first lens focused great. Never imagined I’d welcome back a 3300-dollar lens with a factory defect (crooked lens mount).

Regards,

[Shootist]

Daniel have you done any focus bracketing tests with it and if so does it front or back focus or are you saying that even if you try to adjust the focusing ring to a closer or farther point the lens still does not focus at all?

 

Have you unmounted and remounted the lens. I have had lenses not properly line up with the RF roller just inside the lens mount of the camera making it harder to turn the lens focusing ring and not focusing correctly. dis/un-mounting the lens and re-mounting it solved the problem.

[Mauribix]

Just received a replacement 28-cron’ due to a quite crooked lens Hood Mount (accessory carrier). It did however focus great. The new lens has turned out to be a huge disappointment, as it will not focus period! Took various shots at every conceivable setting but no luck. Tried a tripod and still fuzzy as hell. Can’t quite understand how I could receive two defective lenses back to back. Are Leica lenses really this hit and miss or is my experience considered truly unusual.

Regards,

 

Hi Daniel,

i'm sory for you your problem, but i would suddenly go to your dealer and try to focus with a 75lux or 50lux or 35lux or even a Noctilux, if the problem of shift focussing is still present, maybe you have to register your M8 instead...

Did you do this yet?

 

regards

Maurizio

[Eoin]

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I'll bite my tongue when saying ..... your birth into the land of "M" has not been an easy one. I fully understand your frustration and I can sympathise with you from my own personal experiences with the quality of lenses coming out of solms at the moment. If it's any consolation to you at all, don't give up, keep sending it back until you get one that works 100% and don't be afraid to continue to do so until you are satisfied with it. But keep the faith in these trying times because when it all clicks into place the images are truly outstanding in their quality.

[robsteve]

I should have a strong word with your dealer. These things must have received hard knocks in transit. Each lens is (supposed to be) individually checked upon leaving the factory.

 

The problem is sometimes the dealer. I don't think the bigger dealers like B+H send these returned lenses back to Leica, but just put them back in stock, to be sent out to another customer.

[JimP]

Unfortunatley just had the same issue with a 28 Elmarit. Not as bad as you described, but I did send it back. All images were fuzzy no matter what I did (f-stop, sharpening, slight forward/backward focus). Mounted on a tripod. Suppose this happens with all manufacturers, just a little more unacceptable when you pay the prices you do for Leica.

Guess since you paid 2x what I did, you have the right to be 2x as unhappy )

[Jamie Roberts]

Just received a replacement 28-cron’ due to a quite crooked lens Hood Mount (accessory carrier). It did however focus great. The new lens has turned out to be a huge disappointment, as it will not focus period! Took various shots at every conceivable setting but no luck. Tried a tripod and still fuzzy as hell. Can’t quite understand how I could receive two defective lenses back to back. Are Leica lenses really this hit and miss or is my experience considered truly unusual.

Regards,

 

 

Daniel--

 

Yes, I'd definitely have the M8 mount checked as well. What other lenses do you have that *are* focussing properly? All wides? Do you have a tele to check against?

[charlesphoto99]

Yeah, maybe the first lens was actually out of whack and the out of whack camera made it focus right! It's the lens.

 

Sheesh where does it end with this camera (and company)? Sorry, out of all the various cameras I've shot in my lifetime this has been the most frustrating - not to mention the most expensive. Hopefully once mine is back from Solms everything will be good for awhile.

[charlesphoto99]

Oh and I forgot to mention that I had a 28 cron with focus problems. But that was after a $545 repair by Solms (I dropped it). I only noticed it when I got my M8 and they fixed it when I sent the lens for coding. But not after returning the lens with a 24 mount first(after 8 weeks)!

 

Its a great lesson in patience, Daniel. There's something to all the talk of zen when it comes to shooting Leicas.

[Daniel Ortego]

Daniel have you done any focus bracketing tests with it and if so does it front or back focus or are you saying that even if you try to adjust the focusing ring to a closer or farther point the lens still does not focus at all?

 

Have you unmounted and remounted the lens. I have had lenses not properly line up with the RF roller just inside the lens mount of the camera making it harder to turn the lens focusing ring and not focusing correctly. dis/un-mounting the lens and re-mounting it solved the problem.

 

The dealer had me perform some rudimentary over the phone tests. Dismounted the lens; pushed the roller to bring into coincidence, remount and focus/align into coincidence. It aligned into coincidence without compromise. Based on the result, he determined the lens brass ring was somehow messed up and stated the camera was not likely suspect. He corrected the previous lens hood issue, yet offered to send a third new lens. Since I was quite satisfied with the focus on original the lens, it’s being returned.

Regards,

[Shootist]

The dealer had me perform some rudimentary over the phone tests. Dismounted the lens; pushed the roller to bring into coincidence, remount and focus/align into coincidence. It aligned into coincidence without compromise. Based on the result, he determined the lens brass ring was somehow messed up and stated the camera was not likely suspect. He corrected the previous lens hood issue, yet offered to send a third new lens. Since I was quite satisfied with the focus on original the lens, it’s being returned.

Regards,

Hopfully the original lens will be return to you fully corrected, hood and focus.

I think you have a good dealer.

[Jamie Roberts]

{snipped}Sheesh where does it end with this camera (and company)? Sorry, out of all the various cameras I've shot in my lifetime this has been the most frustrating - not to mention the most expensive.{snipped}

 

Well, it probably ends where all the other companies do as well.

 

My 50 1.2L broke on the job on Saturday. I removed the lens hood and the front element and the front of the lens came off with it

 

I was flabbergasted. I'd never seen anything like this before (well, except for the two 50 1.4s I destroyed with light abuse. I am cursed it seems with 50mm Canon lenses!).

 

It's less than 6 months old, and it's not cheap either (I paid more for that lens than I did for my Summilux M 50 ASPH, which admittedly was lightly used).

 

So it sucks to be a statistic; I'm sure this is NOT indicative of general Canon quality control. But it still is the worst thing that's ever happened to me on a job because the damage was so surruptitious--I'd hate to think what the shots would have looked like had I just gone on shooting, or if someone had "knocked out" the front element! LOL!! We'll see how CPS handles this

[charlesphoto99]

Well, it probably ends where all the other companies do as well.

 

My 50 1.2L broke on the job on Saturday. I removed the lens hood and the front element and the front of the lens came off with it

 

I was flabbergasted. I'd never seen anything like this before (well, except for the two 50 1.4s I destroyed with light abuse. I am cursed it seems with 50mm Canon lenses!).

 

It's less than 6 months old, and it's not cheap either (I paid more for that lens than I did for my Summilux M 50 ASPH, which admittedly was lightly used).

 

So it sucks to be a statistic; I'm sure this is NOT indicative of general Canon quality control. But it still is the worst thing that's ever happened to me on a job because the damage was so surruptitious--I'd hate to think what the shots would have looked like had I just gone on shooting, or if someone had "knocked out" the front element! LOL!! We'll see how CPS handles this

 

That sucks. Yeah, I've had every brand of camera equipment break down at some time or another (hey they are pieces of machinery after all, just like our cars, etc) but I guess it's just the level of "this and that" I've had with my M8 that adds up vs anything totally catastrophic like your 50. My film M's for the most part I've just gone and shot; same with Canon and and Nikon digital. But my damn M8 feels like it's been out of commission more than it has been in, and I still don't have all my wide lenses coded, etc.

 

Anyway, enough bitching. I just feel like it's compromised my work to a degree when I could have put the $5k into another camera that would just let me get on with things. Ultimately for me it's about getting the image, not comparing corner softness.

[Daniel Ortego]

Hopfully the original lens will be return to you fully corrected, hood and focus.

I think you have a good dealer.

 

Since I don’t currently have a second lens yet; that is my sincere hope. I thought I could hold off a few months until I’ve recovered from the initial sticker shock although I can see very well, that a second lens is essential for swing testing the M8. I just ordered a silver 50-Lux’ for this purpose. Ok, it was second in line to my three-piece lens set although it just got bumped to the front burner.

Regards,

[Jamie Roberts]

That sucks. Yeah, I've had every brand of camera equipment break down at some time or another (hey they are pieces of machinery after all, just like our cars, etc) but I guess it's just the level of "this and that" I've had with my M8 that adds up vs anything totally catastrophic like your 50. My film M's for the most part I've just gone and shot; same with Canon and and Nikon digital. But my damn M8 feels like it's been out of commission more than it has been in, and I still don't have all my wide lenses coded, etc.

 

Anyway, enough bitching. I just feel like it's compromised my work to a degree when I could have put the $5k into another camera that would just let me get on with things. Ultimately for me it's about getting the image, not comparing corner softness.

 

I hear you, and I think people begin to resent high-investment stuff that just won't work well for them.

 

I pretty much feel the same way about a lot of my Canon gear which constantly needed one adjustment or another (which I couldn't do and CPS had to every time) or replacement or adapting to other makers' glass.

 

Now, I'm not about comparing absolute corner sharpness either, but it's nice when I don't have to worry about distortion on the wides when I have a Leica lens on as opposed to, well... let's just say I got done playing with the 16-35 V2 2.8L on a 5d and I'm just spoiled now (I was chimping it thinking yikes!!! don't put someone's head to the side if you're zoomed out at all).

 

So depite the finickiness of the Ms and Rs they've actually been more reliable over the last year than the other gear. For me, that is I know it sounds perverse, but I *like* the fact I can adjust the infinity focus with a 2mm allen key!

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Daniel Ortego]

... but I *like* the fact I can adjust the infinity focus with a 2mm allen key!

 

Where the heck is this allen key? Maybe I over looked it in the box? Where & how is it adjusted? I'm not quite ready to dive into depot level repairs although I'd like to know.

Regards,

[carstenw]

It isn't supplied. If you take your lens off, and look inside the mount, you will see that at the centre of the little rangefinder wheel, there is a 2mm Allen key hole. By gently turning this, you can shift the focus adjustment of the rangefinder. It shifts the whole range only, there are two other adjustments for vertical alignment and near-far balance, but those are harder to do. This one is really easy to do, and the best way is to go up a tall building, and take pictures of church spires many kilometres away or stars at night. Just keep tweaking the wheel until focus lines up at infinity (lens turned to infinity, don't try to actually focus). The chances are that at this point all will be well.