I've recently purchased a classic m6 and I want to have it throughly checked and adjusted. I live in San Diego, but am willing to send it anywhere in the US to get top quality service. Please recommend your favorite place (with phone# or website)for leica service. Thanks

-- Doug Ford (dford@san.rr.com), August 22, 2001

Answers

Without question:

Sherry Krauter Golden Touch Quality Camera Repair 118 Purgatory Road Campbell Hall NY 10916 845.496.8834

-- Rolfe Tessem (rolfe@ldp.com), August 22, 2001.

Doug:

Send it to Leica USA in NJ for a CLA. They have recently overhauled two Leica M3s for me. Those cameras now look as good as my new M6 TTL!...........................................

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), August 23, 2001.

Go to:

http://www.lhsa.org/

and click on repair.

I would also add my Leica repair god:

Kindermann (Canada) Inc. Attn.: Art Parkinson or Gerry Smith Service Department 361 Steelcase Road West, Unit Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 3V8 Tel: (905) 940-9262 or (905) 479-0167 Fax: (905) 479-9755 e-mail: kindrman@istar.ca info@kindermann.com

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), August 23, 2001.

OK how about this:

Kindermann (Canada) Inc.

Attn.: Art Parkinson or Gerry Smith

Service Department

361 Steelcase Road West, Unit #3

Markham, Ontario,

Canada L3R 3V8

Tel: (905) 940-9262 or (905) 479-0167

Fax: (905) 479-9755

e-mail: kindrman@istar.ca info@kindermann.com

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), August 23, 2001.

Doug,

I realize this reply runs counter to your question, but I'd run some film through it and make sure that it doesn't need anything but your use of it. I don't see the need to send it off before giving it a thorough test drive, unless of course it's apparent that it needs a CLA. Otherwise I recommend DAG, if you need to send it off (can't find the number).

-- Dave Doyle (soilsouth@home.com), August 23, 2001.

Unless there's something obviously out of whack with your M6, I agree with the view that you can wait until it actually needs a CLA. Just install a couple of fresh batteries for the meter and test it yourself on film. That said, I'd recommend Sherry Krauter. After she CLA'd my M6 (1985 vintage), its mechanical operation felt much more like my smooth M3.

-- Tim Nelson (timothy.nelson@yale.edu), August 23, 2001.

Here's some more recent input:

CLA THREAD #1

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), August 23, 2001.

CLA THREAD # 2

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), August 23, 2001.

Yet another recommendation for Sherry Krauter. I recently sent her an old M3 (757xxx) and she had it working like butter. She's pretty busy lately so I'd call first to find out how long it'll take.

-- Bong Munoz (bong@techie.com), August 23, 2001.

Doug: "I've recently purchased a classic m6 and I want to have it thoroughly checked and adjusted"

My response: For me the time to have a camera thoroughly checked is before I purchase it, or during the 10-15 day no-hassle return period. The standard CLA on an M body runs from about US$175-275 depending on who you use, so that amount should be figured into the price of the camera if a CLA will be needed. If you've already bought the camera, I would strongly recommend running some film through it to check the operation of the transport, rangefinder/viewfinder, meter and shutter. Use slide film and keep track of the shutter speeds etc. If you don't notice anything amiss, save your money. Unless the camera has a serial# less than 1,900,000, or has been used in an extreme (hot, cold, wet, dusty) environment, or has a specific defect you can identify, chances are you can just use it and enjoy it. When something goes wrong, then get it fixed.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), August 23, 2001.

What about DAG? Anyone have any experience with him. I know that Don Chatterton uses him and he (Chatterton) has a first rate reputation.

-- mark (mramra@qwest.net), August 23, 2001.

I've used Don Goldberg (DAG)for several overhauls. To me his work is tops. The shutters he adjusted were more accurate to the marked speeds than the other Leica repairperson's. He charged significantly more (like about $100) and took much longer. He's also much easier to get ahold of during business hours.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), August 23, 2001.

Thanks for all the input. The camera is 5 years old. Very little use, I think I put more dings and scratches on it just opening and taking it out of the box. I ran it through all of the speeds to check the shutter. No sticking or hang-ups. Now I gotta lens. This weekend I'll run a couple of rolls of film through it. Are there any tests for checking exposure at all speeds and apertures? Ya know, gray card technical stuff? Thanks

-- Doug Ford (dford@san.rr.com), August 24, 2001.

Point the camera at a blank surface (wall, blue sky etc.)and make a series of exposures from 1sec-1/1000, varying the lens aperture accordingly so the EV stays constant. The negs or slides should all look the same density and even from left to right of frame. If you're using a lens wider than a 50, you can expect some light falloff in the corners at the wider apertures, but the center of the frame should be even with the rest if the shutter is ok. Expect at 1/1000 (and perhaps 1/500 also) the most variance both overall and from left to right. If it's really pronounced, those 2 speeds can be adjusted without servicing the entire camera.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), August 24, 2001.

Can someone please provide the address/phone no. for DAG? Thanks, BILL

-- wm mitchell (mitchell.candy@worldnet.at.net), August 24, 2001.

Don Goldberg's Contact info,

2451 Thatcher Lane McFarland, WI 53558 608-838-4769

-- Cing-Dao Kan (cdkan@yahoo.com), August 24, 2001.

"Unless the camera has a serial# less than 1,900,000..."

What's special about M6's with serial# less than 1,900,000? I have one of these that definately needs a CLA (slow speeds stick).

-- John Sparks (jsparks@agilent.com), August 24, 2001.

Thanks Jay

-- Doug Ford (dford@san.rr.com), August 24, 2001.

I have never had either my M3 or M6 body worked on but I have had two lenses checked and overhauled. I sent them to Leica in New Jersey. The lenses came back like new. The work took about 4 weeks but they did excellent work. I don't think it a good idea to send your equipment to anyone but the maker. True, Leica is a little expensive but some of the other repair people are about the same price. Are they any faster? I really don't know. I have a friend who had a bad experience with a Leica R lens sent to someone other than Leica. A complete and expensive disaster!

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), August 27, 2001.