The Heavenly Leica M5…

[splitimageview]

Perhaps he needs all the work he can find, even if it comes with baggage. 🙂

Is he a ‘true tech?’ 😀

 

[hap]

Ohhhhh that's right, I guess I knew that, duh. Anyway, DAG did a bangup job on my very nice 50 Jahre "Jubilee" M5. The meter is right on and it runs like silk.

Did you have Don modify the meter for a 1.5v battery? Did he send back with a battery init? If so, what was it?

 

[shawn]

Youxin lives near me and I have dropped cameras off at his place. He has CLA'd a Tower 45 and a M3 for me as well as checked out another M3 that I returned based on his evaluation. Very happy with everything I have had him work on, my smoothest camera is the Tower 45. I've also had DAG CLA/repair a few lenses and Sherry CLA'd my M5.

 

[splitimageview]

BTW if anyone reading this thread gets struck by 5AS (M5 acquisition syndrome).... there's a chrome 3 lug, DAG serviced up on the Photrio site.
(not mine.....that one sold in '73 or so 😉 )

Here is another with a 50/2 Summicron.

 

[hap]

I've used Youxin , DAG, and Sherry. Youxin is ok....I bought an M3 from him and a canon P. Recently, I had a Leica R 100 APO MACRo Elmar and he declined to clean....saying he had no knowledge of opening the lens. Sent to DAG who did the dirty deed and it was good, although expensive. I guess that is the issue Leica R lenses can be difficult. Don will answer emails and even calls. Sherry is hard to communicate with.

There is a thread regarding a particular M5 problem with light leaks. Nobody, not even DAG or Sherry could fix. Finallyl, the camera sent to Zacks Camera repair who fixed it with notes from a French language letter that was translated . A very weird sort of story.

 

[dourbalistar]

I've used Youxin , DAG, and Sherry. Youxin is ok....I bought an M3 from him and a canon P. Recently, I had a Leica R 100 APO MACRo Elmar and he declined to clean....saying he had no knowledge of opening the lens. Sent to DAG who did the dirty deed and it was good, although expensive. I guess that is the issue Leica R lenses can be difficult. Don will answer emails and even calls. Sherry is hard to communicate with.

There is a thread regarding a particular M5 problem with light leaks. Nobody, not even DAG or Sherry could fix. Finallyl, the camera sent to Zacks Camera repair who fixed it with notes from a French language letter that was translated . A very weird sort of story.

Here is the thread that @hap mentioned about the M5 light leaks, along with the technical note that I shared in Post #73 of said thread:

M5 Light Leak

Hi all, I am having a recurring light leak with my M5. I searched the forums but couldn't find much previous information on this site. So I started a new thread to countenance opinions/ information. Does anyone have a sense of what might be going here. I searched for a pinhole in the shutter...

www.rangefinderforum.com

 

[hap]

Correct that Huss looked high and low to find a fix. Ultimately Zack fixed the light leak. Apparently, this is not an uncommon or rare issue. Zack has closed his storefront last time I found him. However, I believe he has the tools etc to address the light leak again.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

My experience with DAG is that it's worth the wait and the price. That said, though, I've also had excellent service from YYE.

"My experience with DAG is that it's worth the wait and the price." Absolutely!

 

[chuckroast]

Did you have Don modify the meter for a 1.5v battery? Did he send back with a battery init? If so, what was it?

I think he does this routinely as part of his CLA, but I would imagine he would do only that if requested.

Mine came back with a 1.5V "button" alkaline in it. I promptly removed that and used an MR9 style adapter (without any voltage dropping diode in it) so I could use silver oxide batteries to power the meter. These are preferable to alkaline because they fail all at once whereas alkalines slowly loose voltage.

 

[splitimageview]

A 'true tech' may also realize that taking on someone else’s unfinished job could be a recipe for wasted time at a minimum, having to deal with potentially damaged parts that were the previous tech’s responsibility, missing (irreplaceable) parts, and who knows what else. Maybe the previous tech isn’t even a qualified tech, but a completely untrained hack! On the contrary, a legitimate 'pro' has likely already experienced the pain of accepting someone else's assembled hack project, it is perfectly reasonable and understandable to therefore reject a disassembled one.
...

I can completely understand if someone like DAG decided to skip such a project considering those of his caliber have far more work than they can possibly complete in a reasonable time as it is.

And just a few days after I posted this, DAG himself responds to an inquiry about tampered gear and explains why he isn't interested, literally exactly as I described. 😉

DAG, no 'truer tech' ever existed...

 

[luuca]

The heavenly M5 is such a Heavenly camera. A true Street photography monster workhorse.
It only lacks a winder/motor capability, but for the rest, it’s a champ.

People are uneducated regarding the M5, prefering to parrot what they read instead of simply trying it.
And yes, it is best used with small, tiny lenses. A 35 summicron V4 or V1 on that camera is perfection. My hands are all over that sexy combo.

That bottom left corner is totally made for left hand holding, and a tabbed lens such as a Summicron or summilux 35mm is ideal: the left hand holding the camera with index and thumb while position-focusing (pushing/pulling the tab) with the index or middle finger.

The right hand’s index is for pushing the shutter and to change the shutter speeds while NEVER looking away from the viewfinder.
The right hand’s middle or 4th finger can be used for pushing the focus tab towards close focusing.

An absolute shooter’s delight. The M5’s size is perfect for who is into street shooting. My hands are perfectly positioned. The camera’s shape is such.

Once I understood just how deeply the M5 was engineered, and modeled towards handling… I regreted having spent time with other Leicas so much. The M5 definitely is a Heavenly piece of engineering. Absolutely the equal, and many times better, than any M234…

Ok, sold it.

You convinced me with just one post, this camera could be the next M body I will look for...

 

[chuckroast]

And just a few days after I posted this, DAG himself responds to an inquiry about tampered gear and explains why he isn't interested, literally exactly as I described. 😉

DAG, no 'truer tech' ever existed...

I have sign in my shop to the effect of...

Shop Rates

Normal $30/hr
If you want it fast $50/hr
If you want to help $200/hr
If you tried to fix it yourself first $500/hr

 

[Ororaro]

And just a few days after I posted this, DAG himself responds to an inquiry about tampered gear and explains why he isn't interested, literally exactly as I described. 😉

DAG, no 'truer tech' ever existed...

It’s all about the knowledge.

Dag, as opposed to yye (this is what it’s about, yea?) will sort out a pile of bits and pieces and and form back a M5 or a Leicaflex.
You pay him, he will do it.

Yye? He won’t even touch the M5/Leicaflex. And if he ends up creating a pile of bits and pieces on his desk out of any camera, he will most likely stuff everything in a bag and… send it off to Don.

 

[splitimageview]

Well, no, as you can see if you actually read the link, DAG will *not* necessarily agree to 'sort out a pile of bits and pieces,' and for quite good and valid reasons.

As far as Youxin not working on Leicaflexes or M5s, with a 7 month backlog without any of those, why would he necessarily want to add to his work load? He has chosen to focus on specific cameras, that's his prerogative, it's just a business decision after all.

 

[Ororaro]

I see you badly need to win this argument of a self-made tech who learned his craft on people’s prized cameras, and ruining a few, over a properly trained technician.

Way to go ✌🏻

Well, no, as you can see if you actually read the link, DAG will *not* necessarily agree to 'sort out a pile of bits and pieces,' and for quite good and valid reasons.

As far as Youxin not working on Leicaflexes or M5s, with a 7 month backlog without any of those, why would he necessarily want to add to his work load? He has chosen to focus on specific cameras, that's his prerogative, it's just a business decision after all.

 

[splitimageview]

You seem incapable of basic reading comprehension.

It also appears you have an axe to grind although when asked you failed to reply if you had personal experience with Youxin or were repeating hearsay. Since you dodged this, one can only assume it’s the latter.

Others in this thread are quite happy with his work. For those, they also deserve a “Way to go!” , right?🤣

 

[chuckroast]

Well, no, as you can see if you actually read the link, DAG will *not* necessarily agree to 'sort out a pile of bits and pieces,' and for quite good and valid reasons.

As far as Youxin not working on Leicaflexes or M5s, with a 7 month backlog without any of those, why would he necessarily want to add to his work load? He has chosen to focus on specific cameras, that's his prerogative, it's just a business decision after all.

Not to mention the fact that the 5s and 'flexes needs an entirely other set of spare parts on hand. There is a limit to what any one person can handle, I suspect.

I keep seeing this criticism of YYE and methinks it's uncouth. He's not here to defend himself and no one has yet provide a shred of evidence that he does lousy work. To the contrary, many of us have used both YYE and DAG and - in my experience at least - both have done fine work.

 

[hap]

I think he does this routinely as part of his CLA, but I would imagine he would do only that if requested.

Mine came back with a 1.5V "button" alkaline in it. I promptly removed that and used an MR9 style adapter (without any voltage dropping diode in it) so I could use silver oxide batteries to power the meter. These are preferable to alkaline because they fail all at once whereas alkalines slowly loose voltage.

My guess, Chuckroast, is that is what Don will do when I send my M5. I suspect I will use the alkaline and see how it goes. Othewise, I will follow in your footsteps with the dummy adapter and a silver oxide battery. My concern is that I've tried that before. I had to file down the adapter in order to get it in the battery well with the battery . The cover never did screw in flush by a long shot.

 

[chuckroast]

My guess, Chuckroast, is that is what Don will do when I send my M5. I suspect I will use the alkaline and see how it goes. Othewise, I will follow in your footsteps with the dummy adapter and a silver oxide battery. My concern is that I've tried that before. I had to file down the adapter in order to get it in the battery well with the battery . The cover never did screw in flush by a long shot.

I'll have to go look at mine, but I think it was fine. It's possible the cover is slightly proud of the body, but I've never really noticed.

BTW, that meter is probably the best in-camera meter I've ever used. It acts like a spot meter and can be treated as such for many applications.

 

[Ororaro]