DAG stopping Leica M5 Repairs

mothertrucker

mothertrucker

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Don has posted this on his Leica M Parts page - he always has some interesting things tucked in there, and I noticed this:

https://www.dagcamera.com/store/p440/I_no_longer_repair_M5_Cameras.html

So, as far as I know, that would leave only Sherry to do M5 repairs in the US.

Has anyone had any luck talking Don into working on an M5 recently? He overhauled mine 4-5 years ago, and it's worked fine since.
 
He probably wants to spare himself some trouble. Back in the day I only sent him one of my M5s because I know he takes payment via Paypal (and back then, Sherry didn't). That was the only time; he gets all my other camera repairs, including Nikon S bodies, but Sherry works on my M5 bodies.

Now that she takes Paypal as well she may get more of my business. Don is great, but I leave for him things that are not terribly urgent.
 
I got my M5 CLA'd from him in 2019 and it took a couple of months for him to get around to it. He did a great job on it. Sad to hear he's stopping repairs on it!
 
Thanks for the head's-up.

Even though I was fractory (sic) trained in Wetzlar, Germany on the M5 camera, I no longer want to work on this camera.
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Can't be more clearer than that! :p
 
How about ...I'm not prepared to continue working onthe M5. Apologies to my many
loyal customers who will find this inconvenient.. or something like that.
 
hap said:
How about ...I'm not prepared to continue working onthe M5. Apologies to my many
loyal customers who will find this inconvenient.. or something like that.
Click to expand...

Rather than correct his grammar or sense of propriety, I'd rather have Don ;) correct any problems with my cameras (M4s)...
 
Maybe this is a passive aggressive cry for help! Don if you are reading this, please train an assistant and just have them work on only M5's. For your sanity!
 
hap said:
How about ...I'm not prepared to continue working onthe M5. Apologies to my many
loyal customers who will find this inconvenient.. or something like that.
Click to expand...

I like his original statement more. You know better than to ask... the way you've written it, he'd have people asking him always.
 
mothertrucker said:
Don has posted this on his Leica M Parts page - he always has some interesting things tucked in there, and I noticed this:

https://www.dagcamera.com/store/p440/I_no_longer_repair_M5_Cameras.html

So, as far as I know, that would leave only Sherry to do M5 repairs in the US.

Has anyone had any luck talking Don into working on an M5 recently? He overhauled mine 4-5 years ago, and it's worked fine since.
Click to expand...
Don is a friend of mine. Fact is he literally hates the M5 - "it's the most overengineered camera ever produced!" - but if he gets one in he won't turn it away.

As I recall he charges $455 for a CLA on an M5!
 
I believe Sherry bought up the spare parts from Leica USA when they stopped working on the M5. She repaired two of them for me back 15+ years ago. Worked fine until I sold them. I always viewed her as the expert for the M5 and Leicaflex series where no one else wanted to touch them.
 
I sent Don an M5 (amongst other gear) back in February, didn't know then that it might be one of the last he services.
 
Don was willing to work on M5 about a year ago and said he was working to acquire more spare parts for the model, including replacement viewfinders.

Fair enough if he's changed his mind. Seems like he has plenty of orders anyway.
 
Well that might explain why the M5 I sent him, along with several lenses for 6 bit coding, back in early January are still pending repairs. I didn't realize he disliked the M5 so much. I would have sent to Sherry - she's always done great work on my other M cameras. I know some people have shared bad experiences about Leica NJ repairs but I sent them an M240 for repair and received it back in 4 weeks. Then I sent them a 90mm lens for repair and received it back in 4 weeks. I should have sent them the lenses for 6 bit coding too but I like to support the independent professionals who keep our classic Leica gear in tip top shape.
 
jeffrypittman said:
Well that might explain why ... several lenses for 6 bit coding, back in early January are still pending ...
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If you sent him lenses for 6-bit coding back in January, you should have received those back by now. His turnaround for 6-bit coding is usually around 4-weeks; I'd definitely follow-up on that.

Plus, his backlog for CLAs tends to be around four or five months, so I'd follow up on the M5 too.
 
I received a message email from Zacks Camera yesterday. slightly cryptic.

"Currently, we are still able to work on the M5" CLA quoted $375

In a world of soaring expenses and prices, this is to be expected. Maybe.
 
jeffrypittman said:
Bill, I left a message last week and am waiting for a reply. DAG did confirm receipt back in January but no updates since.
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A message? He doesn't have an answering service or a secretary answering the phone. If you were able to leave a message you called the wrong number. You could also try emailing him - dagcam[at]chorus[dot]net - generally he returns emails within 24-hours.
 
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