I missed Glazer's last Leica Days sale. with these $200 rebates and a M6 and several lenses to purchase, it makes good sense to wait for their extra 10% incentive. I was just told that Leica Days, as you knew and loved them, are now history. true?

sadly, I require a -2 diopter to make the rangefinder comfortable for me. does the correction lens extend out unreasonably, or simply screw in with little notice?

thank you!

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), December 23, 2001

Answers

It screws in with little notice BUT it also tends to unscrew and fall out as well. Use a little tiny drop of paint (or the very mildest thread locking compound available) to hold it in place.

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

All the dealers' promos said something like "Last Leica Day in 2001". Like the rebates which seem to keep getting extended and also grow (remember they were $150 early in 2001 then went to $200), I wouldn't expect the Leica Day gimmick to go away. As long as Americans can buy Leica products cheaper either through gray- marketers or directly from overseas dealers, US dealers will come up with some competitive gimmick, aided by Leica USA if they don't want US dealers to relinquish their franchises.

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

I buy all my Hasselblad equipment through Robert White in Poole, England. his Leica prices however, are on par with what Leica USA offers them for after rebate, and I would prefer to support them. I like USA warranties on camera bodies, and am willing to run the gray- market risk on lenses.

the 10% Leica Days incentive almost pays for a 50mm Summicron. Glazer's always honored a phone order, perhaps because Oregon borders Washington, but I am wondering if other distributors would do the same?

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), December 23, 2001.

Daniel: While "Leica Days" may be dead, I'm confident Leica (and every other manufacturer) will continue to offer some sort of rebate program. At least until such time as sales outpace production, or the used equipment market dries up!

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), December 23, 2001.

Rebates end 12/31/01 - Leica Days don't end until March, according to our Leica rep. Word is Leica USA decided they were costing too much and told reps to quit scheduling them. We shall see.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), December 23, 2001.

re the eyesight correction lens. Choosing the right diopter seems to be a little more complicated than picking the value that you "know" you need. I used Nikons for decades and I've been using -3 for at least 10 years. Since I started using an f100, where you can dial in the exact amount, it appears that -2.75 on a Nikon is perfect for me. However, -2 on a Leica M6 is right for me, and anything more negative is worse. Go where you can try the various values. And yes, they are not hard to lose!

-- john stockdale (jo.sto@bigpond.com), December 25, 2001.

Daniel, I hope you have read the Nemeth FAQ on how to choose the correct diopter for the Leica. Its written by an optometrist and Leica enthusiast.

http://www.nemeng.com/leica/index.shtml#038b

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 25, 2001.