We often hear legendary stories of the Leica M's reliability. But seldom come across instances of failure. Maybe that's the truth.

Well my M has never failed me so far but it is fairly new.

Did you M ever needed repair ? Tell me more -how old was it -what went wrong -how must did it cost to put right -how long did it take to put right -was it your fault or a design fault.

-- Yip (koklok@krdl.org.sg), August 21, 2001

Answers

I sent my M2 in, after 40 years of faithful and trouble-free service, because I thought a couple of shutter speeds were off and I thought it deserved it anyhow. It came back with a viewfinder problem not there before the servicing. I sent it back (it was not done by Leica) and we will shortly see how things turned out.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), August 21, 2001.

I bought my M3 in 1966. It's had one CLA. Not so long ago I took it to one of those Leica check-ups and was told not to let anyone touch it, it was perfect. I feel very fortunate to have been able to buy a new M3 and a new SL/2 (neither of which has ever been repaired).

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), August 22, 2001.

Brand new Leica M6 "classic" purchased Dec94, from local distributor. Faults straight out of the box: a) Shutter slow by 1 stop @ 1/1000, 1/2 stop @ 1/500, 1/2 stop @ 1/60 b) Two shots in rapid succession (at the same setting) results in second shot being 1/2 to 2/3 stop lighter; c) Parallax not working with 35 & 135mm lenses. d) Uneven exposure across frame. Camera sent twice to Australia by local distributor for repair. Parallax problem remedied, shutter problems not. Camera sent back to Germany with a note from the supplier, recommending replacement. Camera returned from Germany re-built and with a note saying that it should never have left the factory in its original condition. Whole process took 6 months. All work done free of charge under the warranty and during this time the local agent kindly lent me a "demo" camera. This camera was fine apart from 1/1000 sec being 1/2 stop slow, which is the norm.

Brand new 50/2 purchased with the camera. Found to be slightly short focusing compared to 21, 28, 35, 90 and 135/4. Adjusted in local repair shop.

Brand new Elmarit-M 28/2.8 purchased from local distributor. Micro streamer like bubbles in lens. Sent to Germany, returned, having been repaired under warranty, after 3 months.

Brand new Elmarit-M 90/2.8, the red dot fell off as I took it out of its box for the first time.

Brand new 35/2(last non-aspheric) 1/2 stop under exposure at all f-stops. Returned. Since bought a second hand mint one, no problems.

Sold the original M6, and bought 2x mint- M2's (1 button, 1 lever rewind) shutter accuracy & travel problems even after CLA. Sold both at profit.

M4-P (current camera) purchased in mint- condition. Rangefinder fine tuned, 1/1000 speed adjusted. Have to be careful when changing lenses in bright sun outdoors, light leak problems (twice) through the bottom of the shutter curtains. Otherwise happy.

Since my problem with the original M6, I know test even brand new equipment before I buy.

I think, when they work properly, Leica equipment are the most tectile of all photographic equipment, that is why I still use them.

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), August 22, 2001.

I have owned 2 M2's (sold), 1 M4 (still have), 1 M4-2 (sold), and 4 M6's (still have 2), plus at least a dozen lenses of which I still own 11. I have never had a malfunction in any of them, although they were all purchased used and the M4 had just been CLA'd, and I had the M2's and M4-2 CLA'd because it had never been done. I adjust the 500/1000 speeds on my M6's myself. 1/1000 tends to be erratic from shot to shot, and off as much as 2/3 stop from left to right on every M I've ever owned or tested, which nothing seems to be able to be done about. But it isn't necessary that they be 1/2-stop slow at those speeds. My M4 is more of a PITA to adjust because the top- plate has to come off. It's my backup body anyway. Frankly I can't remember needing 1/1000 very often with the type of shooting I do.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), August 22, 2001.

Here's the sum of my camera repairs. 1974 - dropped a friends Zenit E with a vivitar 283 flash off of a church balconey, a drop of 25 feet or so. We couldn't find all the parts. 1982 - Dropped my M4 with collapsable Summicron about 5 feet off of a ladder. Needed to get the rangefinder adjusted and the lens helicoid replaced, at the time about $300.00 total. 1986 - dropped my Nikon FE, surprisingly off of the same ladder (I now stay of ladders if at all possible). It was a write off. Three years ago purchased a mint IIIg that had not been used a lot, but also hadn't been serviced since the early 70's. Sent it in for an overhaul and they said all it needed was minor CLA, total cost about $250.00 CDN. In all I'm very happy with my Leica reliability and toughness

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), August 22, 2001.

Used M2:

Shutter curtain derailled by film chip and repaired locally. Next year same curtain adrift again so I sent it to Leica Canada for a proper repair. Five years later slow speeds start hanging and sent in again for a CLA. Fine now though I have sent it back for the syncs to be changed to pc style, vulcanite changed to vinyl and had the strap lugs changed. Looks fair, works great.

Used 50/2:

Focus cam out of adjustment though this did not become apparent until I started getting other lenses. Sent it in for a CLA.

Used M4-2:

I am learning :- ) so I sent it in for a CLA right away. Subsequently purchased a Winder M4-P which then resulted in the camera giving uneven exposures. Sent both in and was advised that the camera was fine and that you should never use the Winder in continuous nor with speeds under 1/50. No problems since.

Used Winder M4-P:

Bought it sight unseen and on arrival it was VERY NOISY so I sent it back for a full refund. Later I was talking to my Leica repair tech and he mentioned that it was repairable. So I bought it back and sent it off for an expensive CLA. Quiet now with no troubles except for those mentioned above.

Used 21/3.4SA:

A year after purchase the rear optical group came loose so I sent it in for a CLA. No problems since.

M6TTL:

Daughter tried to see how high it would bounce on the pavement. Sent it in for a passport warranty rangefinder adjustment. Replaced shutter winding lever with M2/3 style. Works great!

They are tools. Use them, repair them; whatever it takes.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), August 22, 2001.

My M3 was originally purchased in Japan by my friend's father, and he used it without any troubles from the mid 1950's until he passed away nearly 40 years later. When I bought it, it had sat for 8 years and the shutter was not fully opening and the finder had gotten a bit foggy. Bill Maxwell went through it and it feels like a million bucks again. I have a sneaking suspicion it will probably outlast me and the end of 35mm film. I personally don't think they make the bodies as well as they used to, but that the lenses are better optically and have harder coatings.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), August 22, 2001.

Over the years I've owned two M4's, an M3 and three M6's. Only the M3 has had to go in for repairs, for focussing problems (it focussed about a foot too close at 10 feet) and a stripped gear tooth in the film transport. The body went in to Gerry Smith (Kinermann's Leica God in Canada) who fixed it up within two weeks for around $100 IIRC. The other bodies have all been fine, except that I noticed the other day that the film counter in my M6 .72 isn't moving...

Of the 18 Leica lenses I've owned since the 70's, only one has had a problem. A couple of months after purchase my first Tri-Elmar (new version) developed a problem with the aperture detent, where the click-stops wouldn't (click or stop, that is). It went back to Lisle- Kelco, and after a couple of weeks they opted to replace it. The new lens had a problem with the focus selector ring, where the click- stops again wouldn't. That lens was in turn replaced by the dealer without a murmur, and the new one is perfect in all respects. BTW - this is a testimony to the value of dealing with a good local camera store whenever possible. Getting this problem sorted out for a mail- order grey-market purchase would have been a nightmare.

All the other lenses I've owned have been perfect.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul_chefurka@pmc-sierra.com), August 22, 2001.

I've had only good experiences: M2: 1959 model bought used in 1970, CLA in 1978 and 1990. M3: 1962 model bought used in 1975, CLA in 1980, still on the mark! M6: 1985 model bought used in 1999, CLA in 2000 (its first). Only service ever needed on my lenses has been a cleaning of my 21/3.4 SA--after 25 years, some of the lubricant clouded an internal element. Sherry Krauter cleaned it to like-new condition. Although I haven't banged around my equipment as much as a pro might, it has had plenty of hard use and vibration from extended travel in various modes (airplane, train, bicycle, etc.). I'd be happy to do one of those Timex-type ("takes a licking and keeps on ticking") testimonials for Leica, as probably would most of us. Only good experiences with service from Sherry Krauter and Leica USA over the years, too. In other words, don't worry....problems are the exception.

-- Tim Nelson (timothy.nelson@yale.edu), August 22, 2001.

Further to my earlier posting I also have 2x Nikon F2, an FE2, an FA, F3, and 20, 24, 28, 35, various 50's,55, 85, 105, 200, 300 lenses, I use them all professionally. Also had 2x F4's but sold them - too heavy. Never had a shutter problem. Only service neeeded was re collimation on 2x F3's and 1x F4.

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), August 22, 2001.

M5 - never serviced - presently needs RF calibration and slow shutter speed rebuild CL - never serviced - presently needs RF calibration and meter repair CL - never serviced - presently needs meter repair

-- mark (mramra@qwest.net), August 22, 2001.

My 62 M2 was bought in very ugly condition in 96.

It stank of cigar smoke for about the first year I had it. It has the following faults I have been meaning to get fixed: Rotating RH strap lug (both are nearly worn through) Vulcanite is chipping off. Light leaks from baseplate (that was fixed with a little matt black paint) RF frames are weak on the LH side. Erratic slow shutter speeds. All speeds at least 1/2 stops slow. Big dent (outwards) in top case from being dropped on the rewind knob) Medium dent above RH strap lug. Medium dent in bottom plate edge. Otherwise the bottom plate has too little wear to have been original on this camera. Untold smaller scratchs and dents all over. Paint on back door frame mostly gone. Low contrast, dusty RF. Frame line selecting cam worn (but all three still select properly - just) RF Cam follower was not rotating when I got it - a touch of light machine fixed that.

The Seventies 50/2 Black: Worn focus cam. Focus ring fees like it slips if turned rapidly. Aperture ring rotates too freely for my taste. The red dot is missing.

I am torn between getting it CLA / Repaired, and thinking that it isn't worth investing in. Except the Lens produces that look....

-- Mark Wrathall (wrathall@laudaair.com), August 23, 2001.

I recently bought a M4. The seller had the shutter tested and ajusted a month before the sale by a well known (do everything) Danish repair facility (Top AV Fototeknik ApS -in case any Danes reads this).
To me the shutter sounded fine, but I noticed a problem w. the filmcounter + the rangefinder and framelines needed ajustment, so I decided to have it CLA'ed by Leica Denmark.
In the CLA report stated the following:
Unautorized repair: Wrong assembly, "glue" in shutter rails, damaged shutter curtains.
The final cost was close to $500 of which the shuttercurtains replacement accounted for $110. They held my camera for a month.

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), August 23, 2001.

I've both an M2 and an M3, both 40+ years old. The M2 still has the Leica "L" seal, and when the camera was checked at a recent Leica day event I was told it's well within spec. The M3 was given to me as a gift about a year ago, from the original owner, and had been sitting, unused, for five or more years. I sent it in for a CLA and to repair some damaged vulcanite. It came back a bit smoother and quieter than when I sent it for adjustment. IOn the time I've had these cameras they have worked flawlessly, and from what I gather they worked flawlessly before I obtained them.

-- SCB (sbelinkoff@netscape.com), August 24, 2001.