Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]on 10/8/00 9:17 PM, BOB KRAMER at BobKramer@COOPERCARRY.com wrote: > Why was your silence fortunate? Sounds like a reasonable question to me. Because I am not a professional chef and no-one would pay good money for the food I produce in my kitchen with my knives, nor for that matter with any knives. I kept silent so as not to sound foolish. > Just like me asking why in the world someone would need nine Leicas. But I > got it... your Leicas fail to work on an apparently regular basis, and no > one in the pacific rim is capable of fixing them in a timely fashion, and > airmail service to the US isn't available. Okay. Accidents happens, things get dropped or stolen (I have had two Ms stolen one in a demo in Shanghai and one in Tibet), I believe that pretty much all major and many minor repairs on Leica lenses from all corners of the world are done by Leica in Solms these days though NJ is the only other full service Leica repair facility. IME Solms and Wetzlar before them had very slow turnaround on equipment repairs for whatever reason (I have heard customs in Germany are to blame and/or the regional agents etc). One lives with the inconvenience and irritation because the results are often worth it. I have recounted elsewhere the sad history of my two R8s one which died after a week or so of use and the other managed just a few months. Even a routine fix like an RF adjustment cannot be competently performed by any repair facility I have had the misfortune to bring my Leicas to in China. Oh and airmail service to the US is available - but would you send a $2000 camera uninsured and with the prospect of a 120% import duty if/when it comes back? And would you have two days or free time to handle the paperwork and bureaucracy in Chinese for the sending and receiving of said package? Makes more sense to me to have a spare and keep on working and then make periodic trips to sort out such logistical problems or wait until work brings me to Hong Kong, Singapore, London, NYC, Tokyo or some other Leica-friendly place. Yrs gluttonously Adrian who has only one wife who has more than 9 outfits: now that I cannot understand! - -- Adrian Bradshaw Corporate and Editorial Photography Beijing, China tel/fax +86 10 6532 5112 mobile +86 139 108 22292 e-mail apbbeijing@yahoo.com OR adrianpeterbradshaw@compuserve.com Please note my new mobile number (as of August 1st) _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com