Unable to contact DAG

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Two months ago I sent my V1 35 Summicron to DAG. I talked with him twice by emailbefore I sent it. He responded promptly both times. Since then I've not heard a thing, not that I expected to, but after two months truer to contact him to see what the status is.

I've tried multiple emails and calls leaving messages over 6 business days and haven't had a response.

Anyone has contact in the last week. I suspect he might be on vacation but fear a health issue. Neither of us are young anymore.

Any contact in the past couple of weeks?

Thanks!
 
Sounds typical from my experience.

Don, can you repair?

Sure send it

Wait for request of payment. Or he used to just send it with a bill and I never would consider shorting him.

He seems to go dark so he can get some work done instead of answering questions.

Hope nothing serious going on.

Jim Kuehl used to send me Leica lenses etc with a bill in the box. Return if I did not like item or send payment. Honor system. Jim been retired perhaps 10 years now.

Times are changing
 
Won't go into details now, but received a camera back from him last Friday. It had been there since last November 1st. He's really busy, but, with regard to how his health was when I had contact with him two weeks ago, he's not ill, but he is apparently overwhelmed with cameras.
 
Sorry to hear !

have used Don since 2008
Not ever had a Problem
Sometimes service is fast
Other times more lengthy with that as an Understanding

Wil. PM You 'X-ray' ...
 
I think with the ever decreasing quality of Leica NJ, Sherry, Youxin and Don have been up to their ears in cameras and lenses. I was at Youxins place on New Year's Eve to have my MP finder put in the M6 and he showed me the stacks and stacks of orders. Like hundreds.
 
Don is super busy. You just have to trust that he will eventually get to it. I think the longest that I waited was 2 years for my Leica IIIg and a bunch of LTM lenses. They were all to be overhauled. I wanted to make sure that all of them focused properly with the camera, and it was a big job.

Often I just see the item in my mailbox, with no prior notice from Don. His invoice is in the box, and I always make it a point to use the paypal "Friends and Family" option so that he doesn't get dinged the paypal fee.


Gus Lazzari is almost the same, except that he will talk with you over the phone. I sent off my M5 earlier this month for a self timer issue. It would sometimes fire the shutter, and sometimes it wouldn't. So, it was on the "threshold". I was wondering when it would come back, and all of a sudden I have a USPS tracking number notice in my email.

With any of these repair folks, I try not to bother them. They have work to do, and the more I or someone else talks, the less time they have to get their work done. I still have an M5 and Leotax S with Don. The Leotax S was previously overhauled, but I wanted to have one of my two flash ports converted to X-synch (leaving the remaining one as M synch). Don said that with many cameras you can't alter the synch, but in the case of the Leotax - you CAN!

Now quit bugging him and let him finish working on my gear!
 
he's got a few items of mine as well. it's taking longer than expected, but i'm ok with it. i knew going into it i might not see them again for 6 months. his work is so good compared to the others, im willing to deal with it.

i do wonder if he's going to pass the torch over to someone else soon. it be a shame if he didn't impart his skill and knowledge to a worthy successor.
 
I've talked to him a few times last month and this month.
He has a lens of mine that he's working on.
And I sent him another lens to check it out and he responded every time I've contacted him.

Sometimes he can be hard to reach, I guess it depends on the day you reach out to him?
 
I'm really not in a rush. It's just that I hadn't gotten a confirmation or estimate. I think I'm a little more conscious of age since my 50th class reunion a week ago. I went to a very small school and my class was about 100. 29 that we know of have passed away which kinda freaks me out. Reality got more real that day. I think Don's about my age too.

My brother is a luthier and had a 9 year backlog to build instruments until he stopped taking orders and now it's about 4 years. Folks that do great work are in big demand.

Again thanks for the info and again I'm very patient.
 
bayernfan said:
i do wonder if he's going to pass the torch over to someone else soon.
Click to expand...

He has no plans to do that; he's 62, he's not retiring immediately, but it won't be decades away either. The way he was talking when I spoke with him, he's worked enough and at least emotionally ready to retire and travel, though as with all things in the future, things can drag on for a long time.

Everyone mentioned here is incredibly busy, obviously an opportunity for a career for someone to step up and move into. It's a camera, Not rocket science. It's an anomoly that there are so few people in the States who are trusted to take care of these cameras. The idea that there is no one else who is capable of learning how to do a CLA on an M3, and do it well, is a little bizarre. Not saying it would be effort free, and quick, but it is an opportunity for some young person with decent vision, some hand skills, and a willingness to put in some time with the factory service manuals to make a decent living. Until all us old guys die, and nobody cares any more about Leica CLA's.
 
Let's hope Don is like me and hated retirement. I started it but realized I love my work and love working with my clients. I work a day or two average a week most of the time now. It keeps me involved enough and I have time to do my own thing now.
 
if Don ever considered doing intensive CLA workshops near the end of his career, i'd take one in a heartbeat and pay handsomely for the privilege.
 
Dag

Dag

I received my earlier 35 summilux back about 2weeks ago
The repair time was a little more than expected
He had to adjust the lens as the focus point was off some
Don does nice work
He is swamped though at times
Understandable for one of the best
 
Funny, Don just emailed the lens is ready. He's very reasonable on price too.

A few years ago when I was still shooting film on jobs I had a binding issue in the focus with my Apo 90. He turned it around in a week and got it back in time for an out of state assignment. He's always been very accommodating.
 
I got back a 35 Summilux a couple weeks ago from Don after a quick turn around of 3 weeks. Of course, he did his usual fantastic work and the lens came back in perfect working condition [with its amazingly pristine glass, 50-year old lens]. Over the years I've learned that when it comes to lenses especially (and cameras), there just isn't anyone else I trust as much, and any wait is worthwhile. Don really is the best, and a great guy. Sometimes it's quicker, and sometimes not (I've had my many months of waiting too), but anytime I receive something back its worth it - a gift from 'Leica Heaven.' ;-)
 
Larry Cloetta said:
He has no plans to do that; he's 62, he's not retiring immediately, but it won't be decades away either.
Click to expand...
I think he's 2 or 3 years older than that -:). I've used Don for eons and was surprised last year (?) when I found out he was a year younger than me.

I had a Leica repairman (retired a long time ago) tell me once that he would wait until he got 3 or more of the same model for repair (i.e. 3 or more M4s) before he would start a CLA on any of them. It was easier to do multiple CLAs on the same model at the same time rather than do, say, a M3 and an M2 and a IIIC. Makes sense if you think about it.

Don always does a 1st class job, was trained at Leitz in Germany in the late 60's (early 70's?) and is probably one of the most knowledgeable Leica technicians out there. Almost anyone can do a simple CLA but on equipment half a century old it's the ability to recognize when a gear or gog maybe just isn't 100% and needs replaced.

All good things in due time.
 
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