Source for little red index dot?

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A source for the little red index dot (glued to the lens barrel) was mentioned somewhere on thie site recently but I don't get any response. Does anybody else have a source for these little things?

-- Jim Shields (jim.shields@tasis.ch), November 19, 2000

Answers

By any chance did you try calling Leica?

-- Steve LeHuray (icommag@toad.net), November 19, 2000.

No, I haven't called them. Would they bother taking calls on a little thing like that?

-- Jim Shields (jim.shields@tasis.ch), November 19, 2000.

I am sure they would not mind. You could also try the reputable Leica repair places and you can find a list of those by rummaging around on the Leica Historical Society web site, www.lhsa.org A couple of my old Leica chrome lenses have the dots missing and I do not find it a problem aligning it to mount on the body as the dot indent is still there.

-- steve leHuray (icommag@toad.net), November 19, 2000.

I have ordered several insignificant items from Leica, and they even sent me the R7 owners manual for free. Call them.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), November 19, 2000.

Just call Leica parts, they have them. Contact your distributor for how to order parts.

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), November 19, 2000.



Why do you need the little red dot? Mine fell off years ago, and I have no trouble attaching the lenses. If I did, I'd put a spot of red nail polish on the depression once occupied by the dot. Of course I realize that only a philistine would insult the fine sensibilities of Leica owners by suggesting that the dot is not essential and that in a week or so its absence may not even be noticed, but after surviving the loss of one of my own dots relatively unaffected, I decided to forget about them altogether. I'm not entirely normal yet, but I'm feeling much better. You should know, though, that even before the dot fell off, I occasionally put on the the body caps with the Leica name cocked or even upside down.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), November 20, 2000.

Two things. First, I'm quite discomforted at the possibility of my red index/feeler dots falling off my Leica lenses. I do hope it's not a common fault. Second, there isn't much of anything placed on a Leica body or lens that isn't somehow necessary or useful, the one excepted item that comes to mind is the frame-line preview lever (what the hell is it used for, anyway, besides seeing the other framelines?). The red dot is useful to me because I put my thumb on it so I can mount a lens without looking, and sometimes the red color is helpful for when mounting a lens when I am looking. Please tell me my red dots will not be prone to falling off. What next??

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), November 20, 2000.

Sorry Tony. Of my 5 Leica lenses, only one has its red dot. The last one to leave was from a 90mm lens which was only two years old. The only lens of mine that still has its dot is my oldest... the 1980 35mm Summicron... with the original tab, (round, not cutout).

As for the frame preview... it allows you to accurately curse the lack of the correct lens that you left at home. Without this important feature, you might wish for your 28mm lens when what you really needed was the 35. When doing that "one lens" thing, this little lever has caused me great frustration.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), November 20, 2000.


Jim, there's another thread on this, posted by Joe Buechler. Also, someone (but I can't find the thread) posted a similar item on another small part, and the responses were to the effect that Leica mails them to you free, and you glue them on. Me, I haven't lost one yet. Guess I'm not using my Leicas enough.

Regards,

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@juno.com), November 25, 2000.


My own way to replace the red dot: there are many sizes of plastic collar beads sold in any ´thread & needle´ stores. Find the right size and color, grasp it with your fingers and sand-paper it until you have rub off half of it. Glue it with a good cement.

-- Mr. Sergio Casillas (Mexico) (sercaba48@hotmail.com), October 06, 2001.


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