I have a doggie M2 and a Wetzlar 50/2 Summicron Black. The range finder of on the M2 seems acurate despite the rewind knob having been knocked into the top case hard enough to cause a outward's bulge under the Leica logo. I have tested it with a friend's 50/1.4 (newest model) and infinity focus is right on. Vertical alignment is also good. With my Summicron at infinity the rangefinder misaligns by about a half mm. It is obviously the lens cam, as you can see and feel the wear on it. Is it possible (and cost effective) to have this replaced?

-- Mark Wrathall (Wrathall@laudaair.com), August 12, 2000

Answers

It does not need to be replaced just adjusted. The focusing cams on Leica M lenses are hand finished and this sometimes looks like wear. Most likely the lens has had just as rough a life as the camera. Send it in for a CLA to a good Leica tech (I like Kindermann very much) and it should be very reasonable to get it functioning correctly. I had my early seventies 50/2 CLAed and the cam adjusted a few years back and it cost about $120US.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), August 12, 2000.

Thanks John. It is definatly wear as you can feel the ridge at the ends of the range of rotation. The lens is early mid seventies, and much nicer than the body. How do they adjust it?

-- Mark Wrathall (Wrathall@laudaair.com), August 13, 2000.

The ridge at the ends of the rotation are probably the original adjustment, which involved grinding the cam until it matched reality, but obviouly only on the areas that could be measured, limiting the grinding to the working range of the cam.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), August 15, 2000.

I am not too sure how it is done but it did not seem to be a big job judging by the price (which also included a normal CLA).

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), August 26, 2000.