M8 and lenses returning from DAG

W

Way

Guest
Really excited about getting my equipment back from DAG in time for Valentine's Day. Ever since purchasing the M8 I've had serious back focusing from both my 50/1.4 asph and 90 cron. Last March they were sent to Leica to be adjusted but came back the same. That took almost 6 months :bang: . Well it has taken DAG less than 2 weeks and I really hope that he was able to do his magic on my M8 and lenses!
 
Please post your impressions as soon as you test your equipment. I have two lenses that I want to send him soon...and my M8:mad:. I'm glad it only takes a couple of weeks.
-Cindy
 
A number of my Leica lenses back (or front) focused on my M8 - I have nine of them. I sent them to DAG one at a time over about a three month period and they all work perfectly now.
 
Thanks Bill, that's very encouraging to hear. I really like using my lenses wide open. Hope they turn out as well as yours did.

BillBlackwell said:
A number of my Leica lenses back (or front) focused on my M8 - I have nine of them. I sent them to DAG one at a time over about a three month period and they all work perfectly now.
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They'll be right on. DAG does the best! It may take a little while tho. I imagine that all the M8/lens business is keeping him very busy! It won't be 6 months though!
Steve
 
I also sent my under warranty (brand new) 50 lux to Don as it was clearly out of alignment out of the box. His reputation convinced me I'd get a lens properly adjusted, the first time, in 1/2 to 1/3 the time then sending it to Leica. Well worth the cost. I'll see for myself in a few weeks! best...Peter
 
Hi ...I bought my M8 last week and only just starting to use it. Have an MP and a Nikon D2x which I have enjoyed for some years now.

Can you tell me what adjustments need to be done to the lenes when used with the M8 and who/what is DAG? thanks
 
I just sent two lenses to Solms for adjustment with serious reservations. Too many horror stories of sub par work and the cost! If I had known DAG can work on M8 focusing problems.
 
DAG is actually Don A Goldburg, take a look here for his site:

http://dagcamera.com/

He is one of the TOP FIVE people two work on Leica in the UNIVERSE. I've sent none Leica stuff to him and he has breathed life back into them. His prices are very reasonable, his quality is second to none.

B2 (;->
 
He has magic touch! Kidding. Attention to detail and perfection. that's what it takes. plus, he'll get on the phone and talk with you the customer. unheard of these days!!!
Steve
 
Just got my equipment back from Don and what ever magic he did was, um, magical! Focus confidence is what it should have been to begin with. In the past few minutes I have enjoyed using the M8/50/90 combo more than using them the past few months. I know that my portraits will be focused where I want them to be, without the tweaking, freaking guesstimate bull that plagued me since acquirring the camera. This is the first time I have used Don's services and, if needed, not the last. Leica took almost 6 months to do nothing, Don took about 2 weeks and it was done right. Thanks Don!
 
digitalintrigue said:
What exactly does he do to eliminate the mis-focus with these lenses?
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The front and back focusing problem is caused by the focusing cam on the rear of the lens being out of alignment (too long or too short). In some cases (with my lenses at least), he has to shave some thousandths of an inch off of the cam to bring it into alignment.

For more detailed techno-babble, you'll need to discuss it directly with him.

Bottom line - his technique works.
 
digitalintrigue said:
What exactly does he do to eliminate the mis-focus with these lenses?
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I sent him a 50 DR that was misfocussing on my RD-1. He ground 9/1000 of an inch of material off of the lens-mount so that the focal point was in the right place. Turned a useless lens into a treasure. He currently has my:

Converted Contax 45/2 Planar;
Contax 50/1.5 C-Sonnar;
Konica 50/2 M-Hexanaon;
Leica 90/2 Apo Summicron-M;
Leitz 50/2 Summicron (rigid); and
Leitz 135/2.8 Emarit.

When he is done with those I will send him a Pentax 43/1.9 in LTM which backfocuses by 4 inches (!) and a 50/1.5 Summarit.

Some of the above front focus, some back focus -- the 90 Apo Asph was only off by a quarter of an inch at the close focus distance, but this made it impossible to capture that medium-format like quality on the M8 that the lens is capable of with film.

What I have taken away from this is that the M8's focus tolerances are much tighter than those of the film-M's. Will let the group know how it all turns out if you are interested.

Ben Marks
 
Does the grinding of these cams/mounts affect the way the lens operates on other (i.e. film M-mount) cameras?

I'd hate to think that you grind down, even such a small amount, only to find out that you've screwed yourself from using your lens on other cameras.

Dave
 
He is one of the TOP FIVE people to work on Leica in the UNIVERSE.
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Do you really think he's that much better than Zxyxxk Bl#nxgmnon of the planet Zoron in the Andromeda galaxy? Other than shipping charges being a lot more reasonable?
 
I would think that would depend on whether the RFs, rollers, etc. in your other cameras were within spec. In general, the M8 is much more demanding because of the flat sensor, so what works on the M8 should work on a film body, but not necessarily vice versa (as people have been discovering). I suppose the ideal solution would be to send all of your bodies in @ the same time, but that's obviously not an option for most people.

dcsang said:
Does the grinding of these cams/mounts affect the way the lens operates on other (i.e. film M-mount) cameras?

I'd hate to think that you grind down, even such a small amount, only to find out that you've screwed yourself from using your lens on other cameras.

Dave
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dcsang said:
Does the grinding of these cams/mounts affect the way the lens operates on other (i.e. film M-mount) cameras?

Dave
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Dave: I have found that it has not affected focus on my other cameras. The reason, I believe, is as furcafe stated above. There is a wider range of tolerances with the film M's than with the perfectly flat sensor on the M8. I am told that there is a small film "bulge" at the film gate in a Leica-M, even with the pressure plate holding the film "flat."

I think the lesson is that there is potentially a wide range of tolerances in the Leica M and compatible lens world. Note that I have several notoriously difficult-to-focus lenses (50/1, 50/1.4, 75/1.4 -- all pretty unforgiving) that are spot on with the M8. I think that this is a matter of luck -- those lenses just happened to hit the spec. Others did not.

Ben
 
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