Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have never suggested that the M4 is a "bad" camera. I am merely stating that a change in market realities has rendered the M6 a better camera in today's world. In the 1950's and 1960's, Leitz strongly urged its customers to have their cameras given a yearly CLA: the camera stores liked this as Leitz provided low-cost training for their repairmen, and as it brought the Leica owners into their stores at least once a year, even if they regularly bought their film elsewhere. As a result of these yearly CLA's, Leitz made cameras with a lot of adjustable parts, as they knew the cameras would be in-shop periodically to be restored to factory specification. The M3 and M2 had quite a few adjustable parts, and the M4 even more. All three functioned magnificently as long as they were given those annual services. The M4's plethora of adjustable parts made great sense in that environment. By the 1970's, the number of camera stores employing repairmen fell catastrophically, and many Leica owners no longer had close access to a store which could provide a CLA. Hence, when the redesign was made which resulted in the M4-2, a lot of these "adjustable" parts were made "go/no-go". The M4-2 and later Leica rangefinders are, thus, far more rugged -- as parts are not constantly falling out of adjustment -- but repairs, when they do occur, are more expensive as, often, an entire component has to be replaced, rather than simply adjusted. In other words, the change was a change of industrial reality reflecting a change in market conditions. Similiarly, the change from vulcanite to PVC was one which has caused many folks to lament the loss of the "vulcanite feel" -- but vulcanite is generally starting to dry out after 10 years and rarely lasts 30 years without chipping or breaking, where PVC will last a century, or so the hardware-store and building-inspector types swear. It all makes sense: Leitz/Leica have stayed alive by adapting their product to the changing conditions of the modern market. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!