[Leica] Re: Re: "demos"

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

Well... after reading a months worth of DonjR43198@aol.com's type of posts,
99% of which were either complaining about the printing on a lens box,
where something is/was made, and that Leica's "demo" practice is criminal
AND anybody and everybody that would even think of indulging in a "demo" is
either brain dead or a sucker, I decided to add my two cents worth.

There isn't anything manufactured in the world that is 100% perfect. There
isn't a company in the world that is run 100% correctly. I personally have
no problems with Leica. My repairs have been turned around in short order,
of the 19 R lenses that I own, the 4 M lenses that I own, the 4 R bodies
that I own, the one M body that I own, I have not had a single DOA product,
starting with Leica in 1976. I have only sent in one lens for actual
repair, no R bodies starting with 2 R3's, 2 R4sP's 1 R6, and now 1 R4sp and
3 R7's have ever seen a repair shop. Two of the R7's were purchased as
"demos", new demos for the extra discount. No M lenses have been in, and my
M body went in once for a rangefinder re-aligning. It took exactly one
week! I FedEx'ed it on Monday, I received it back the following Monday.

I not only don't care if people air their complaints, I encourage it.
Legitimate complaints. Like Ken Wilcox and a few others in the past. The
problem is that only the few problems that, for human reasons drop through
the crack, ever get talked about, over and over and over. But the thousands
and thousands of satisfied customers, purchase, repairs, etc, never get
talked about. So all of the whining is over perhaps .01% of the business.
Ken's projector problem should indeed be thrown in their face. I personally
know of only two "botched" service jobs. Ken was one.

But the constant, ad nauseam, bitching, day after day, week after week, get
a little tedious. Especially when it sounds like someone who simply has an
axe to grind and wants the world to sympathize with him. A chronic whiner.

I just hung two dozen Cibachromes from 11x14 to 30x40 in an office complex.
My Leica equipment works great. And everyone in the complex knows it was
Leica equipment that produced the images. They are stunning! What do I have
to bitch about? Nothing. The equipment does exactly what it is supposed to
do. Make magnificent photographs.

Negative energy seems to consume many folks. I don't really understand it.
Instead of doing happy and constructive things, they are always whining,
moping, and complaining that the world is treating them poorly.

B.S.

So keep on bitching and whining about Leica.

I'll keep on photographing with my Leicas.

Jim



At 12:01 PM 5/30/99 +1000, you wrote:
>
>
>Jim Brick wrote:
>
>> DonjR43198@aol.com,
>>
>
>snip:
>
>> I'm somewhat curious. Why do you continue to stay on the Leica list? Why do
>> you use Leica equipment (I guess I'm assuming a lot)?
>>
>
>Jim,I'm also curious, How you just don't get it. What's wrong with
discussing and
>criticizing Leica products on this forum. Especially if it is legitimate. If
>people encounter problems with Leica equipment, or service, then it should be
>aired.
>You can't just put your head in to the sand and pretend it does not
happen. Just
>because it has the name Leica.
>
>I am also curious, why you have the need to query the existence on the
LUG, of the
>people who voice an opinion opinion, which at the time, is not 150%
favorable to
>Leica.
>
>Horst Schmidt
>