I apologise for this question which I am sure has been broached many times. I am toying with the idea of buying a used M6 but the two lenses I would be interested in are both from the period that production was moved to Canada. Is this something to be concerned about from a quality standpoint?

Many thanks,

James

-- James Symington (james.symington@risk.sungard.com), September 03, 2001

Answers

No.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), September 03, 2001.

Absolutely not.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), September 03, 2001.

No; absolutely not. Combining the previous responses.

I hope this settles the question. :)

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), September 03, 2001.

Some people claim that the Canadian lenses are even better or had tighter quality control.

-- sam smith (Ruy_Lopez@hotmail.com), September 03, 2001.

Even better, often their a few dollars less expensive.

-- mark (mramra@qwest.net), September 03, 2001.

Hello All:

Just a bit of trivia,

The former E.Leitz Canada plant in Midland, 2 hrs northwest of Toronto is alive and well, although with a different name and a different market.

It was spun off when the big changes happened that resulted in Leica Camera being separated from E. Leitz.

ELCAN ( Name derivation obvious) make specilaity lenses for military and industrial users. Items include aerial photography systems, surveying lenses, photographic lithography lenses etc., or so I was told at a gas stop last year by a man driving an ELCAN truck north on HWY 400 out of Toronto.

I can absolutely vouch for the quality, not only from patriotism, but knowing the people who worked there and the manager, and the ethic they espoused. If the cachet of "Wetzlar" on a lens means as little to you as it should a Canadian Leica lens is great.

Cheers, Eh?

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), September 03, 2001.

The Canadian plant had something Wetzlar didn't: His name was Dr. Walter Mandler, who designed some inportant lenses, including one that Wetzler couldn't: the f/1.0 Noctilux. He achieved f/1 without resorting to aspherical surfaces. Wetzlar needed those just to get f/1.2. My 35 Lux, 35 Cron, and one of my 50,s are Canadian. Also my 28 Elmarit. So that's half my M lenses. They're fine!

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), September 03, 2001.

James:

I own more than a dozen Leica lenses, half of them made in Canada. There is absolutely no difference in quality between German and Canadian lenses, they are all equally good! Anyone who tells you otherwise is prejudiced.....

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), September 03, 2001.

I will also agree with the above. So, given the above consensus among actual users (as distinguished from collectors), one has to assume that it is simple snobbery - and nothing more - that grants the German-made Leica glass its 20% pricing premium over the Canadian- made bretheren.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 03, 2001.

I agree with you guys all, but if I have choice I would rather choose the Grerman made lens, after all this is what Leica meant to be. You can call this prejudice, but it is a good one.

-- mitch li (mitchli@pacbell.net), September 04, 2001.

Hallo James,

although the most important answers have appeared already - and I can also agree with them from may experience - I would like to mention a small story out of may LEICA- life: At the end of the sixties, when I got hooked to the LEICA- bug I ordered a 35 mm Summicron for my M 4. After a week or so my dealer handed a SUMMICRON over the desk marked made in Canada and I was heavily disappointed. I tried to change it into a Wetzlar one straight away but they where not available any more.

Of course I kept the Canadian lens and replaced it some years later by another Canadian SUMMICRON after it was stolen. Until now this lensis in perfect working order and it became my favourite M- lens although I also invested into a 35 mm SUMMILUX Aspherical. The latter I only use for certain occasions. It is much bigger and I prefer the f2- lens for most purposes because of its weight and ease of use. If I compare the results on my prints I can hardly tell which shot was taken with which of the two lenses.

There is nothing at all wrong with the Canadian lenses, even to the contrary.

If you are intersted to read more on LEITZ/ LEICA lenses: get hold on Erwin Puts, LEICA Lens Compendium, Hove Books, England.

Good shooting

K. G. Wolf

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), September 04, 2001.

Thank you all for your answers; regrettably you have removed all the remaining obstacles for me parting with a huge wad of cash!

James

-- James Symington (james.symington@risk.sungard.com), September 04, 2001.