american lockpicker Posted May 28, 2009 Share #1 Posted May 28, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) What models are made in Germany? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Hi american lockpicker, Take a look here What Leicas are Made in Germany?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted May 28, 2009 Share #2 Posted May 28, 2009 All Ms are final assembled in Germany. Have a look at the forum video to see an M7 being assembled this Spring The S2 will be similarly put together in Germany Anything that has a Panasonic cousin is made in the "Far East" Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrewer Posted May 29, 2009 Share #3 Posted May 29, 2009 My MP proudly wears her "Made in Germany" imprint Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 29, 2009 Share #4 Posted May 29, 2009 My MP proudly wears her "Made in Germany" imprint If a product is partly made in one location but "finished" in another ("finished" could be quite a high level of work) the manufacture is then entitled to say made in whatever country the product is finished.A few years ago Burberrys made raincoats in other than the UK factory.They had the labels attached and where pressed in the UK.The label looked the same as the UK production but said Finished in England as against Made in England.The reason Leica do it is to save money which in turn helps margins and or end user prices.In a situation such as Leica the quality is not effected. Brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted May 29, 2009 Share #5 Posted May 29, 2009 The usual example I cite is of the Porsche Cayenne SUV which is made in a VW plant in Bratislava, Slovakia and arrives at the Porsche plant in Leipzig by rail, 4 to a box-car. Porsche install the (German-made) engine, add the wheels and a few other bits and, voila, a car "Made in Germany". A huge amount of manufacturing is heading east - only yesterday, HP announced they were closing a manufacturing plant in Scotland, being relocated to the Czech republic. Inside the EU, so good from a tariffs point of view and lower costs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojobebop Posted May 29, 2009 Share #6 Posted May 29, 2009 All Ms are final assembled in Germany. Have a look at the forum video to see an M7 being assembled this Spring The S2 will be similarly put together in Germany Anything that has a Panasonic cousin is made in the "Far East" ----------- i think they mentioned they were assembled in portugal first then the rest in germany, no? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted May 29, 2009 Share #7 Posted May 29, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm curious as to the reason for the question...? Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted May 30, 2009 Share #8 Posted May 30, 2009 Historically, all Leica screw-mounts were made in Germany. Once the Canadian factory opened in the early 1950's, some lens and M production took place there. Once the Portugal plant opened, it made camera parts (e.g. the sewing machine for the cloth shutters has been in PO for decades). There has been some cross-fertilization, so it is possible to get a Canadian-made M3 or M4, for example. But mostly: M3, M2, M4, M5 - Germany M4-2, M4-P - Canada M4-P, M6, M7, MP - Germany, but with subassemblies (shutter/RF units, body shells, etc.) put together in Portugal and shipped in trays to Germany. Leicaflex - Germany CL - both Germany and Japan R4/5/6/7 - some combination of Portugal and Germany, about like the later Ms M8 - parts from subcontractors worldwide, including Portugal factory. With the rangefinder cameras, the final calibration and inspection is always Germany, except that Midland (Canada) did all their own work 1977-85. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted May 30, 2009 Share #9 Posted May 30, 2009 Historically, all Leica screw-mounts were made in Germany. Once the Canadian factory opened in the early 1950's, some lens and M production took place there. Once the Portugal plant opened, it made camera parts (e.g. the sewing machine for the cloth shutters has been in PO for decades). There has been some cross-fertilization, so it is possible to get a Canadian-made M3 or M4, for example. But mostly: M3, M2, M4, M5 - Germany M4-2, M4-P - Canada M4-P, M6, M7, MP - Germany, but with subassemblies (shutter/RF units, body shells, etc.) put together in Portugal and shipped in trays to Germany. Leicaflex - Germany CL - both Germany and Japan R4/5/6/7 - some combination of Portugal and Germany, about like the later Ms M8 - parts from subcontractors worldwide, including Portugal factory. With the rangefinder cameras, the final calibration and inspection is always Germany, except that Midland (Canada) did all their own work 1977-85. Sorry Adan... CL from Germany too ? That's new for me ... I've always read that all the "production" items came from Minolta (not the two C-lenses, which were made in Wetzlar even if Minolta-branded). 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
american lockpicker Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share #10 Posted June 1, 2009 I'm curious as to the reason for the question...? Regards, Bill I want to buy a made in Germany(or anywhere in Europe) camera and I heard some Leicas were made in Germany so I asked this question on this forum. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted June 1, 2009 Share #11 Posted June 1, 2009 Between globalization and the need to keep the optics shop and final assembly area free from metal-working residue, it is unlikely that any of Leica's current products are purely made in the Solms factory. The S2 processor is from Fujitsu; the M8 and R (RIP) shutters (and likely the S2's) come from Seiko/Copal; a lot of the machined-metal parts are from subcontractors (some of whom will join Leica at LeitzPark as one big happy family - in different buildings). Again, historically, the odds are that a pre-1975 Leica(flex) was mostly German-built (except lenses - Canada), and that the M7, MP, M8 and R8/9 are primarily European in construction, and only come together as functioning cameras in the Solms factory. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 1, 2009 Share #12 Posted June 1, 2009 Andy - that's exactly how it works The bodies come almost completed from Portugal. Now, that would also be a very interesting factory tour. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracie Posted April 23, 2014 Share #13 Posted April 23, 2014 My D-Lux 6 say "made in Japan" - is this correct? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 23, 2014 Share #14 Posted April 23, 2014 Yes,as it is a rebadged Panasonic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kivis Posted April 25, 2014 Share #15 Posted April 25, 2014 Curious, why was the Midland plant closed? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Taylor Posted August 18, 2019 Share #16 Posted August 18, 2019 How about lenses Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lykaman Posted August 18, 2019 Share #17 Posted August 18, 2019 On 4/24/2014 at 8:25 PM, kivis said: Curious, why was the Midland plant closed? Blame the Bean Counters ~~ Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted August 18, 2019 Share #18 Posted August 18, 2019 On 6/1/2009 at 7:32 PM, andybarton said: Andy - that's exactly how it works The bodies come almost completed from Portugal. Now, that would also be a very interesting factory tour. Some time ago now, a Forum Member resident in Portugal described just such a factory visit; I recall his being immensely impressed by the care and dedication of the production staff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted August 19, 2019 Share #19 Posted August 19, 2019 On 4/24/2014 at 11:25 PM, kivis said: Curious, why was the Midland plant closed? It was not closed - it was sold to Raytheon and still manufactures optical devices for military uses. It is a Raytheon subsidiary called ELCAN ( from Ernst Leitz Canada) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooferdog Posted January 19, 2020 Share #20 Posted January 19, 2020 Hi , I'm also from Sydney and going to the Antarctic in early March .... Have been before , TWO points 1. Take a waterproof backpack (Patagonia have one) 2. If you are using an SL take the 90 to 280 zoom (don't leave home without it) If your wallet stretches .... a CL makes a good backup , and EXTENSION for the 90 to 280. All the best , maybe I'll see you down there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.