1. It is easier to fix vertical misalignment of the rangefinder than horizontal.

2. That Leica lenses all focus past infinity. This is normal.

3. It is normal for the rangefinder split image not to coincide horizontally at infinity because of 2.

4. That horizontal alignment of the rangefinder arm is factory set for each individual body and must be reset only in the factory.

5. That the commonest cause of horizontal misalignment from knocks is not the jarring of the rangefinder arm, but rather distortion of the body shell.

If this is indicative of the quality of repair service training at Leica Asia these days (and I hope it is not widespread) we here in Asia are better off sending our cameras to the likes of Don Goldberg and Sherry Krauter...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), March 05, 2002

Answers

Mani, I thought you weren't going to comment. My comment: I think the only lens I have that focuses past infinity is my 135mm Tele- Elmar. I'm not even sure it's supposed to.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), March 05, 2002.

Clearly I am hopeless at the art of self-restrained, dignified insinuation...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), March 05, 2002.

Hi Mani: My M6 does not align at infinity with any of my lenses. the reason for this is that I sent my M6 with a prior generation Summicon 90 to Leica USA to correct the horizontal alignment of the lens. Instead of correcting the lens, they changed the body to match the lens. Focus on all of my lenses is accurate at close ranges and at infinity, so I am somewhat at a loss for words. I just got a M3 and '50s Summicron 50 back from Sherry Krauter. It's perfect and the first photos from the old 50 are outstanding. I think my M6 goes to Sherry next. Regards, Doug

-- Doug Landrum (dflandrum@earthlink.net), March 05, 2002.

what is sherry krauter's address (email or snail mail)?? thanks!!

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), March 06, 2002.

The only Leica lens I own that focuses past infinity is my R 250/4. I was told that the reason for that had to do with heat expansion and/or contraction (?) causing the infinity focus to vary. All of my M lenses stop right at infinity, or at most go extremely-ever-so- slightly past infinity, which should only be caused by slightly imperfect lens to body matching. I suspect that that is the reason that Jim Marshall, the famous Rock-n-Roll photographer, keeps specific lenses attached to specific M bodies and rarely changes them.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), March 06, 2002.