Re: [Leica] Gerry does it again (long)

["Roland Smith" <roland@dnai.com>]

Hello John:

Was the problem the quality of the M4-2 as produced or the quality of the
earlier repairs?

I have two M4-2s that seem to function well.  If they are OK so far, should
I anticipate problems in the near future?

Roland Smith
Oakland, California
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "John Collier" <jbcollier@shaw.ca>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 6:23 AM
Subject: [Leica] Gerry does it again (long)


> As you all know I purchased an early M4-2 so I could find out if the
> early cameras really had all the problems everyone said they did. And,
> as I have written previously, everyone was remarkably prescient. Please
> consider me just another member of the everyone crowd; never ever buy an
> early M4-2 period.
>
> I have the camera though and I am sure as heck not just going to unload
> it on some unsuspecting Leica buff. So Gerry Smith of Kindermann Canada
> has been in charge of getting the darn thing working properly. I
> strongly suspect that the last few weeks will have had him pining for
> the fjords of his native land, far away from any place that might have
> an early M4-2. This of course depends on his native land having fjords.
>
> First he did a proper CLA on it. This was to fix the problems caused by
> the first CLA done by They Who Shall Remain Unnamed But Should Bloody
> Well Have Known Better (TWSRUBSBWHKB from here on in). He warned me that
> the motor drive coupling was worn but should be OK with just a
> RapidWinder. The camera arrived back and the drive coupling promptly
> expired so I sent it back.
>
> Gerry next installed the new style of drive coupling from the M4-P and
> up cameras and phoned me to say it was on its way back. It would not
> have made it in time for my holidays, so I told them to not send it
> until I got back. Three weeks after I got back (five weeks later) there
> was still no sign of the camera!
>
> Finally Gerry gave me a call and, after saying several polite but
> plainly negative comments on early M4-2s and inexperienced repair
> people, told me his sad sad tale. He had the camera all fixed up and
> ready to box up for shipping. It had been sitting for a couple of days
> and when he picked it up and fired the shutter, it fired off a blank! He
> fired it again and no troubles.
>
> So for the next four weeks, he would let the camera sit for at least
> three days and then test it. It had to be that long or the camera would
> not misbehave. It would only fire the very first shot blank and then you
> would have to leave it alone for another three days to try it again. So
> he would try an adjustment or two, wait three days and see if it he had
> found the problem. Then he would do it all over again, and again, and
> again...
>
> The problem turned out to be a shutter roller that had been poked
> inappropriately during one of its previous repairs. This VERY slightly
> bent the tip of the roller so that, if it was left a long time, the tip
> would stick slightly in its bushing.
>
> The charge for all this labour that was not any fault of Gerry's?
>
> Nothing, nada, not one penny.
>
> He is charging me for the parts but the labour is all free. When I
> insisted he charge something for his hours of frustrating work, he
> simply says that you cannot bill every hour and on some jobs you just
> have to take a loss and write it off as a learning experience. WHAT A
> GUY!!!
>
> What else can I say?
>
> John Collier
>
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>
>


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