Purchases from www.leicashop.com

[Char]

Anyone purchased any lens from this site? How is your experience and is it a reliable place to purchase lens?

 

[darr]

Char,

I purchased a used Linhof camera from them (with a Schneider lens) a few years back and their service was excellent considering everything involved with an international sale. The camera was graded correctly as well. I was pleased with the transaction overall and would purchase from them again.

Darr

 

[Chris C]

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

 

[ptomsu]

Normally they do have a great service and are very reliable. For sure one of the best shops - also over the Internet.

Of course sometimes issues happen - also happened to me, but overall what I bought from them (I live close to Vienna) was perfect and ok.

Their prices are pretty high though ----

But if you do not like a product, you always can return it within a certain time period! So no complaints about that!

 

[baudolino]

I buy from them regularly. They are nice people but they are sometimes (more often than not) somewhat 'confused' as to what they have or don't have in stock and as to 'versions' of the various lenses - items that are advertised on their site may no longer be available and they may have others in stock that they are not advertising. As an example, they may tell you they no longer have that 35 Cron Asph you wanted in stock ('somebody placed an order at 2AM...') only for the lens to be waiting there for you together with the 90 Cron Asph that you ordered earlier that day over the internet (happened to me). Or, you come to the shop and ask for that 35 Cron vIV you saw on their website and they tell you they have no such lens in stock and sell you a vIII instead (only when I checked their website again later that day and gave them the specific item number over the phone did they apologize and took the vIII back and sold me the vIV - oops another 120 km drive to Vienna and back). It largely depends on who you speak to - I don't know the guys there by name but there is one who is bald and he is the most knowledgeable and meticulous and makes the decisions re prices, discounts etc. (I don't know if I you want to ask to speak to the "bald guy" over the phone but hey, that's my tip for you).

I confirm that their prices are very high, but at this time when Leica cannot produce enough new lenses, these guys are one of the top places in Europe where you can occasionally find what you want, used. In summary, buy from them with confidence, just be sure you speak to the bald guy , give him the item number from the website and have him check and repeat 3x that you are talking about the same lens.

NB: on reflection, I guess I should have praised them a bit more as they still have my Contax 645 on commission sale...

 

[wjlapier]

I've also bought from them. Fast shipping and the lens arrived as I saw it on their site.

Schouten Select is another place I've made purchases--two. Quick shipping as well, but the second package got hung up at a UPS hub for inspection.

 

[silverlight99]

I've purchased a high ticket Lecia kit from them recently and they shipped it out next business day into the U.S. which was nice. Appropriately boxed up in a something I would have expected to find old clothes in, also quite strategic

 

[woodyspedden]

I've purchased a high ticket Lecia kit from them recently and they shipped it out next business day into the U.S. which was nice. Appropriately boxed up in a something I would have expected to find old clothes in, also quite strategic

I purchased several lenses from them with no issues whatsoever other than they charge high prices