Very Disappointed with Leica QC

faris

faris

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Jun 23, 2007
Messages
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My brand new 'lux m 35/1.4 asph arrived today with the lens hood jammed
onto the lens. trying to remove it the whole lens front outer casing fell
apart.

The aperture ring does not 'detent' it ROTATES!!

My 'Lux 50/1.4 m-asph has focus issues.

Buy 2, get 1 free. I am sure they can afford me a ' lux 75/1.4, what with
missing glass elements.

Disgusting, I say, disgusting!
 
Excellent. No problems with the M8..so far. who knows what falls apart
tomorrow or a few moments from now!

J J Kapsberger said:
Wow. Bad luck. BTW, how's your M8? You posted this thread in the M8 forum. Any issues with that?
Click to expand...
 
Too bad, Faris. This is tough luck.
Who needs new lenses?
I prefer using vintage lenses that others have tried out.
 
Thanks Raid. living and learning the hard way.

raid said:
Too bad, Faris. This is tough luck.
Who needs new lenses?
I prefer using vintage lenses that others have tried out.
Click to expand...
 
Faris:

I could'nt agree more about their QC. I've had 4 recent lenses with mechanical problems and my new MP is back in NJ because the shutter doesn't cap properly. My 50 asph summilux has focus problems and is at DAG and my 90 asph had to go back for binding in the focusing mount. My 50 summicron would bind at 3ft and the 35mm summicron v4 would wobble in the focusing mount. Terrible QC.

None of my Zeiss lenses, 25 35 and Planar, have had any problems and they have had just as much use. My ZI has functioned perfectly and had as much film through it as my MP a la carte that's back at NJ. I have two other new MP's so let's see how they do.

Looking at the leica QC I can honestly say I will never buy another recent or new leica product. From posting comments on the board it looks as though capping problems may be common on the MP and focusing moubnt problems are common in the asph summilux 50. Bad designs and terrible QC don't add up to the prices they charge.
 
Very sorry to hear of your and others troubles with new Leica products. I would be slightly more than annoyed had it happened to me. You are paying for perfection, at least that seems to be the old saw, and you should get it first time every time. I am very fortunate not to be in a position that I could afford to take a chance on such a disappointment.

Bob
 
faris said:
My brand new 'lux m 35/1.4 asph arrived today with the lens hood jammed
onto the lens. trying to remove it the whole lens front outer casing fell
apart.
Click to expand...

Ouch! The good thing is, since it just arrived your dealer should handle this for you and exchange it for another one, i.e. you shouldn't have to send it back to be serviced and wait months. It really is pretty mind-boggling that kind of glaring defect got out of the factory. I've been there for a tour, it's pretty small and definitely a class act. Clean, neat, not overcrowded, everyone in labcoats (and caps and gloves and masks where appropriate for dust control), no music blaring from radios, i.e. the workers looked pretty serious, not like they were having a party or with their eyes on the clock or minds on happy hour. Maybe your lens was damaged somewhere after it left the factory? Anyway, hope it gets straightened out.
 
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Wow! Has Leica subcontracted the manufacture of their lenses to the FSU? Then again, that's not a fair statement since I have three FSU cameras and seven FSU lenses in both small and medium format, and every stinkin one of them worked without issue (except I flocked my Kiev 60 and put a piece of tape over the DOF lever on the 80mm Arsat to prevent a light-leak...). For what you pay for these lenses - beyond top dollar, this is completely unacceptable! I also find it unacceptable that you need to slap an IR filter on their M8 to prevent unwanted "wood effect". I don't "feel your pain" since Leica is out of my price range, but I don't blame you for being PO'd. I'd be!
 
Olden day Leica was like the olden days' German cars that were bullet proof.. Modern Leica is on par with Modern German automobile makers in the reliability of their products.. both sub par.

Perhaps it's the laxed culture now that they have a brand name established?
 
I really believe Leica is riding on their reputaion form the past. In 4 decades of hard use with M equipment the only issues have been with equipment made after their financial problems started. As long as people continue to believe there's nothing in the world as good as a Leica then they have no reason to upgrade QC and return to quality construction withot cutting corners. The arguments against Bessa and Zeiss is the perception they aren't built as well. I'm not certain this is the case now and for the price difference an average guy can buy multiple ZI's or Bessas and toss them if something happens. I'll say I've been extremely happy with my older generation M's up to my early M6. I'm also delighted with my ZI and even more than my new MP's. I also just purchased a used R2 to carry on trips and will add a set of small cv lenses. So far I love the R2 and feel it delivers just as good a result as my MP's. I also feel it may be more dependable.
 
Sherry Krauter says the Leica company today is not the same as E. Leitz from years past. Literally we all know that's true, but in practice, the same also seems to apply with some of the complaints I've read on their QC. ONTH, I've not had bad luck with most of their recent products, new or used and with passport warranty, I'd expect replacement with no questions asked. Other manufactures would simply repair it if over a few weeks old assuming it wasn't gray market.
 
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