Anyone heard anything from/about DAG?

Why would you wait 1/2 years for a camera, that just seems utterly pointless to me? Just replace it... especially for things like a CLA or bad meter where the camrea still has almost its full value in sale?
 
JayGannon said:
Why would you wait 1/2 years for a camera, that just seems utterly pointless to me? Just replace it... especially for things like a CLA or bad meter where the camrea still has almost its full value in sale?
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You took the words right out of my mouth. Waiting 6 months or more when I could be out shooting is just unacceptable. I don't know the guy and make no judgments about what he does, but waiting that long to use equipment seems borderline crazy to me. None of my business, I guess.
 
JayGannon said:
Why would you wait 1/2 years for a camera, that just seems utterly pointless to me? Just replace it... especially for things like a CLA or bad meter where the camrea still has almost its full value in sale?
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Well yes, if you have one camera then you better buy another for a back up if you "need a camera" for your profession or hobby. If it is just a toy or a collectible, it should not matter how long it takes for a repair job as long is it gets done right. You don't send your only camera to a shop and then expect them to hurry with it because "you need it now". You can always offer them an extra $100 if they will expedite it i guess :rolleyes:
 
Lexybeast said:
Don does excellent work. The wait and nerve racking lack of communication is just part of the DAG magic.
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Magic is the key word here. I sent him a Canon 50/.95 lens to be converted to Viso III M mount. Less than a year and a half later I finally got it back. What he did to the lens is no less than amazing. The mount is solid top notch craftsmanship. He cleaned, lubed, and calibrated the lens and it is sharp wide open. Even added a click at 1.2 ( there is .95 and 1.4 ).

When I would call him he would say, "oh yeah, I'm about to start working on it" ;) But we would have a pleasant conversation about Leicas and stuff. I'd hang up and wait a few more months to call him again. When I called him the last time and said something about him having the lens over a year ( and I chuckled a little ) he said, "at least we're laughing about it."
 
JayGannon said:
Why would you wait 1/2 years for a camera, that just seems utterly pointless to me? Just replace it... especially for things like a CLA or bad meter where the camrea still has almost its full value in sale?
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Not if its a unique and special camera....took me a long time to find the right IIIc (K) and I want to have it run the way it should (and its never been serviced).
 
Yep I would have no problem with sending a rare or collectable camera off for that amount of time, but people send him MP's and M6's that are 100% standard and are supposedly daily users... and they don't come back for months, that I don't understand, DAG aint gonna do a whole lot different than anyone else who does Leicas for a living on a standard CLA or RF adjustment etc..
 
I agree.... the only other camera I waited for a long time was my Contax IIa from Henry S.......and I can tell you it was worth the wait......came back like new mechanically, which matched the cosmetics.
 
Ive used Essex a few times, no out of the ordinary repairs, but they did a very good job, + their 20 mins away from me, had it back in under 2 weeks... but like others said, if it were a specialty thing, I probably would send it to DAG or Sherry.
 
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I just got my M3 (adjust for .7m) and my two backfocusing M-Hexanon lenses back after four months. I always found that DAG phones would usually be answered. Don made clear to me that he is just overwhelmed with work since Leica USA discontinued much of it's repair work. I think that he and his employee simply get overwhelmed and that he does his best.
 
I'm going through my 3rd where's DAG since the time I send some gear for him. Perhaps after the 5th, I'll get it back.
 
Every time I've needed to send something to Don I do as Dave Wilkinson does: I first ask him if he's too busy. Usually he replies within hours. Then I ship the camera and later ask if he got it. After that I let him work for two or three months before inquiring about my repair. By then, if he hasn't done it, he'll add it to his schedule and then tell me... or send me a reply with a payment request. I never call him, never interrupt him while he has my camera (and a lot more of other people's cameras), and simply learned to wait.

Sherry, on the other hand, downright spoiled me. I have sent her mostly lenses... and she works on them in something like two or three weeks. Of course, I always ask whether they can take a look at my gear. One of these days one of them will tell me to take a break and let them finish their work... but so far, it hasn't happened.
 
I've sent DAG lenses (usually 2 or 3) several times for CLA and/or 6-bit coding and focus adjustment. Typically it's been 40-50 days from my door back to my door, not bad. After 6 weeks or so I may email him that I'm ready to PayPal him some money whenever he has figured a final amount. Diplomatic way of asking "what's up already?" :) But I haven't suffered 6 months or more... In that case something brief from him like "waiting for parts" would reduce stress I'm sure.
 
Finally, I received my camera fixed from DAG after 8 months. Everything runs perfectly and I am happy about Don's work.
I just wish that if he could have managed it faster...

kiemchacsu said:
Do you guys think that 6 months waiting for an M7 from DAG is too long?
I am about to call him but don't know exactly how to describe my camera since I guess that he has tons of them waiting to be repaired also?
Do you have any experience with this? Thanks
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I sent my coll on 30 nov 2010, no news yet...Just mailed once asking about my lens...no response at all....
Must be patient...
 
It's really kind of sad how some people see these artisans as just another "service provider." Consider for a moment how many people in the world can do a good job of repairing your precious camera or lens, when the standard has become send the non-working junk to a landfill and then go out and buy the latest and greatest.
 
I wonder how much of DAG's business is actually needed repair/CLA work and how much of it just a case of some folks simply wanting DAG to "touch/bless" their camera? Probably an awful lot of folks who think their shutter might be a tad off and rush their camera off to be healed over the folks who have an actual "broke" camera and need it fixed. I get the impression that having a DAG touched camera is more of a merit badge and bragging rights than anything else in this endeavor. And probably adds to the re-sell value.

Ken
 
It is so nice that we live in segments of society where we can endlessly bitch about how long it takes to get our cameras repaired instead of worrying about where our next meal might come from or why our child died from a common disease because an immunization was not available.
 
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