tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post4968101535904607286..comments2024-03-27T11:02:08.037-05:00Comments on LEICA Barnack Berek Blog: A VISIT TO THE LEITZ FACTORYLEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-18842457824882705792018-11-23T08:46:15.314-06:002018-11-23T08:46:15.314-06:00My article and the pictures are from a pamphlet is...My article and the pictures are from a pamphlet issued by Leitz. It was used with permission of the Leica Camera AG. Could you please be more specific in which regard he is in disagreement?LEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-48388204158584829192018-11-23T04:51:56.462-06:002018-11-23T04:51:56.462-06:00Interesting article with the title "visit to ...Interesting article with the title "visit to Leitz factory" on your blog because Erwin Puts, who has written a lot about Leica and follows the company very closely, maybe you know him, has almost the complete opposite opinion about the strategy and historical changes at Leica.<br /><br />One wonders who is telling the truth...Roelof Steenstrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14354948954597374219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-54241377533071496902018-11-22T11:27:14.053-06:002018-11-22T11:27:14.053-06:00Of course. But it is also a fact that this method ...Of course. But it is also a fact that this method is incapable of adhering to the tolerances that Leica has set for their standard. In the final analysis it is necessary to adhere to the tightest tolerances in order to assure the best possible performance of any piece of equipment. If we were able to make a lens without flaws, this discussion would be moot. However, unfortunately an ideal lens does not exist. There will always be deviations from the ideal. How great these deviations are is determined by how close to the ideal any lens is produced. In order to do that, the allowable tolerances or deviations have to be kept to an absolute minimum. Leica does that to a greater extent than any of their competition.LEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-44719392650762091102018-11-22T11:26:09.577-06:002018-11-22T11:26:09.577-06:00Isn't the reason for the greater output of equ...Isn't the reason for the greater output of equipment because other manufacturers apply much greater use of automated machines?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-10648235564857546912018-11-22T11:25:29.659-06:002018-11-22T11:25:29.659-06:00Yes, as a matter of fact I wrote about that some t...Yes, as a matter of fact I wrote about that some time ago. Such figures are not easy to come by, but I was able to determine that Nikon and Canon make approximately the same number of lenses in one day as Leica makes during a whole year.LEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-24479321221274535252018-11-22T11:25:03.134-06:002018-11-22T11:25:03.134-06:00Do you have any indication how many pieces of equi...Do you have any indication how many pieces of equipment Leica makes in comparison to other camera manufacturers?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-19417280604198134732018-11-22T11:24:33.725-06:002018-11-22T11:24:33.725-06:00Yes, this is done especially with the production o...Yes, this is done especially with the production of lenses. Even with the extremely tight tolerance applied by Leica, there will always be some deviations from the ideal. For that reason, Leica will test each individual lens element for various criteria. These must fall within a maximum allowed, otherwise the item is discarded. Leica then assigns + or - values to each lens element and then stores them in appropriately marked trays. During lens assembly it is then possible to assemble the lens such that the deviations are evened out, with the result that there are very few differences in performance from one lens to another. Obviously this is impossible to do with mass production procedures.LEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-1594159503429039832018-11-22T11:22:37.034-06:002018-11-22T11:22:37.034-06:00The article mentioned that Leica evens out perform...The article mentioned that Leica evens out performance by matching minus tolerances with plus ones, if I understood that correctly. Could you please elaborate more on this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-44828051121331118852018-11-22T11:22:02.191-06:002018-11-22T11:22:02.191-06:00I know that this is a common claim, however, it is...I know that this is a common claim, however, it is also false. While the quality of mass produced cameras and lenses has improved, there is no mass production method that can approach the overall quality of the bench made process as used by Leica. In order to achieve the extremely tight tolerances applied to all Leica equipment, multiple tests and retest of each individual piece of equipment is absolutely necessary. That is the very reason why the tolerances of mass produced cameras and lenses are not anywhere near of what is offered by Leica. Another advantage of the Leica production method assures a much more even performance from one piece of equipment to the other. No occasional test of a piece of equipment taken of the assembly line in mass production can possibly assure the overall performance levels offered by Leica.LEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-44432840223632590292018-11-22T11:21:14.475-06:002018-11-22T11:21:14.475-06:00Many of Leica's competitors claim that their m...Many of Leica's competitors claim that their mass production methods offer the same quality. Is that possible?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-49613990090211323732018-11-22T11:20:45.348-06:002018-11-22T11:20:45.348-06:00In principle, yes. Of course most of the machinery...In principle, yes. Of course most of the machinery has changed to much more modern ones. For instance, the individual lens elements are now ground and polished on modern machines that grind just one lens element at a time, and in many instances the tolerances are even higher today as they were in the past. Also, the manufacturing processes are much more automated, but many of the final stages are accompanied by testing, reworking and retesting just like in the old days.LEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-65042316763060549682018-11-22T11:17:55.591-06:002018-11-22T11:17:55.591-06:00Does Leica still make their cameras and lenses the...Does Leica still make their cameras and lenses the same way?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-45073057761296683072018-11-22T11:16:42.596-06:002018-11-22T11:16:42.596-06:00Yes, very much so. Some of the machines and testin...Yes, very much so. Some of the machines and testing instruments might have been older versions of what is shown in the article, but basically nothing changed. As a matter of fact, lens production at the time of the M3 was virtually identical.<br />Even today Leicas are made in very much the same manner, although production and testing instruments are quite different. They are of the most modern designs available. Some of them are even specially modified to meet the needs of Leica.LEICA Barnack Berek Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09055435560407011075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-2226508853286667972018-11-22T11:16:21.659-06:002018-11-22T11:16:21.659-06:00Were Leica M3 cameras and lenses made in the same ...Were Leica M3 cameras and lenses made in the same manner?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320126156594375642.post-83022576339255145282018-11-22T11:15:54.999-06:002018-11-22T11:15:54.999-06:00So that's why my M4 is such an incredible piec...So that's why my M4 is such an incredible piece of equipment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com