Anyone purchased any lens from this site? How is your experience and is it a reliable place to purchase lens?
If we are referring Leica Shop, Vienna, Austria, then yes, I purchased a lens from them, and no; you won't want to hear my experience.
About a year ago I was trying to find a 40mm lens for my M8 but having great difficulty. I had decided on either a Leica Summicron-C or an M-Rokkor [for the CLE], but
not the M-Rokkor [CL] ------ [some have experienced focusing issues with the CL on some Leicas, it's a much discussed, though contentious issue about focusing cam differences]. Leica Shop came highly recommended from internet posters, and I accepted some experienced LUF customers experience as trustworthy.
Leica Shop were advertising an A- [close to new/unused] M-Rokkor lens at a higher than expected price. At the time I was having broadband modem issues and was unable to open their lens illustrations so contacted them by e-mail. I asked very specific questions about the lens' appearance [which would reveal the CLE vintage] and was guaranteed that the lens' appearance answered my questions and was indeed an M-Rokkor CLE designation lens. I bit the costly bullet, and bought the lens.
When the lens arrived, not only was it immediately obvious it was a CL lens, but front and back elements too filthy to tell what the insides were like, it's state was completed with a fingerprint on the front element. I had to clean the lens before I could tell what it's true condition was.
This CL lens [when cleaned] turned out to be in very good physical condition, and as I had it I decided to run tests. It was an unusable shocker. The focusing was indeed 'off' on my M8 [so much so that I re-did tests on my other lenses to confirm that my rangefinder hadn't drifted], and the lens exhibited horrible,
chronic 'glowing highlights' [which I take to be spherical aberrations?].
E-mails to Leica Shop followed and it became clear that the person I was dealing with did not know about the differences in CL and CLE lens designations and had preferred to say 'yes it is a CLE' rather than 'I don't know', and rather than doing the examination checks I asked for. To be blunt; I think I was politely lied to.
I sent the lens back to Austria with the assurance that I would be fully reimbursed. Austria is in the Euro zone, I am in the UK, and I lost £25 from the exchange differences between sale and reimbursement. Leicashop refused to cover my losses from the exchange rates even though they were entirely to blame for my loss.
I lost time and money with this exasperating purchase and decided that my efforts to secure a 40mm lens was cursed; instead I purchased a Zeiss C-Biogon 35mm f2.8 which has turned out to be exemplary, and a lens-for-life.
I am wary of seeming vengeful with this post. Other Leica users whose judgement I usually trust have had good trading experiences with Leica Shop over numerous years and indeed, it takes many years of good trading to build the reputation of being a premier European dealer. Unfortunately for me, I unluckily received appalling, ignorant, and dishonest service, and it cost me £25 for the privilege.
I prefer to think my dealings with Leica Shop were exceptional; but I still wouldn't touch them with 'a proverbial barge pole'. Your luck will probably be better than mine, though being forced toward buying a new C-Biogon turned out to be a bonus for me.
This isn't what you wanted to hear; I would prefer that my experience was otherwise.
............. Chris