Your experience - Lens overhauls by Sherry

cnphoto · 05-23-2010

So, I was offered a DR Summicron for $150 but it is 'haze infested'. milky white dots everywhere. It really looks terrible, though the body is in very good condition. I've received a quote for a total overhaul from Sherry and will send the lens of soon, I really do hope that it comes back usable

Has anyone had any 'dog' lenses sent to Golden Touch and been surprised at what was returned?

I'm looking to sell my Nokton F1.5 50mm to fund the overhaul, and offset the intial purchase price of the lens (I was hoping it would be largely usable, in a lo-fi way and could maybe be a 'special effects' lens, but it's just terrible).

I guess I just want to hear about other users experiences. That DR Summicron really does look nice mounted on the M3

a perfect match, even.

Phoenix · 05-23-2010

Last year, I had all of my leica lenses cla'd by Sherry. They came back beautiful and very quickly. They work better than ever. Butter smooth and clear. She is wonderful to work with and very friendly on the phone. Highly recommended!!

sleepyhead · 05-23-2010

Bare in mind that every situation is unique, but I've had Sherry CLA about 6 lenses over the years, including a Minolta 90mm that was totally infested with fungus.

It was so bad, I asked her to just see what she could do, and abandone it if hopeless.

Well, that lens came back perfectly usable!
There were a few light marks on the glass that were irreversible, but otherwise it was clean and clear!

So fingers crossed, your will turn out well as well.

sleepyhead · 05-23-2010

Bare in mind that every situation is unique, but I've had Sherry CLA about 6 lenses over the years, including a Minolta 90mm that was totally infested with fungus.

It was so bad, I asked her to just see what she could do, and abandone it if hopeless.

Well, that lens came back perfectly usable!
There were a few light marks on the glass that were irreversible, but otherwise it was clean and clear!

So fingers crossed, your will turn out well as well.

cnphoto · 05-23-2010

great, thanks.

i'm really not expecting miracles, but a usable Summicron for about $300 isn't bad chop IMO. so usable, or slightly less, is what i'm hoping for

awilder · 05-24-2010

I've had excellent results in the past and she will probably indicate on the invoice "cleaned as best possible". Keep in mind that the coatings on these lenses are very soft and may not be perfect after cleaning, but far more usable after haze cleaning. I've seen many of these lenses missing coating application on the concave surface just behind the aperture blades, likely indicative of coating loss during a cleaning process, unless Leica never bothered to coat that surface on early lenses.

MCTuomey · 05-24-2010

don't sell the nokt 50 prematurely ...

what i like about Sherry's work, apart from its quality, is her lens' assessment. she will tell you what can and can't be done.

rpsawin · 05-24-2010

I dropped a 50mm Summicron on it's side and jammed it up as to render it unusable. Sherry worked her magic and the lens came back with a buttery smooth focus and in better condition then when it was sent.

Sherry is great...no hesitation recommending her!

Best regards,

Bob

tbarker13 · 05-24-2010

Send it to her. She'll tell you if she thinks it can be rescued/restored.

charjohncarter · 05-24-2010

She has done two for me. Both with not problems.

Rob-F · 05-24-2010

Sherry did a great CLA of my 50/1.5 Summarit. She has also fixed my 50 Summicron when it loosened up. IMO, the best places to go for major lens work are Sherry in New York, and John van Stelten in Colorado.

icebear · 05-24-2010

For what it's worth, also my $0.02 :
Yes, highly recommended. I had a 2/50 Summicron cla'd by her and it came back a good as new. A 2/90 that is a bit stiff on the helical, she could not dismantle by herself because of some special glue was used to built that specific version but instead she sent it off to Leica Germany. After the estimate came back about $400, I told her that's not worth it and got it back at no charge. Good communication over the phone and much faster than Don at DAG.

typeguru · 05-24-2010

Another experience: I recently sent her one of my lenses. The turn around time was faster than estimated, but there was absolutely no communication. She promised to email first when it got to her, and then with an assessment of what needs to be done and how much it would cost. All I got was an invoice email with the total due. After sending a check, I received my lens, but the head (front half of the lens) wasn't tightened, it just spun around. I emailed her, and the reply was: "just send it back", no explanation or apologies. I sent it back, and she supposedly tightened the retaining ring on the back, but it was still loose when I got it back. So, the summary is: the well overhauled lens is back with cleaned glass, however, I have doubts if it was put back together with a "golden touch" - and I payed for double shipping with insurance (of course). YMMV.

Nokton48 · 05-24-2010

She CLA'ed my V1 90mm F2 Summicron, that I picked up here for $150. It needed some work, she did a great job, and it's now one of my favorite Leitz lenses.

mmk60 · 05-25-2010

Just got my Rigid cron back from Sherry. The lens had some dusts and very slight film/fog on the internal elements. The lens is now like brand new. Super clean and smooth. Also, I thought that there was a light scratch on the rear element but I do not see it anymore. It must have been a streak or something.

One week turnarounds (I was originally told 2 ~ 3 weeks). This was my first ever CLA and I am addicted

She told me that she has some special cleaning solution. It might do some wonder!

charchar · 05-27-2010

She told me her cleaning solution comes from Leica (Germany).

thrice · 05-28-2010

My chrome 35mm Summilux Asph is still with her and has been since April 8th. Communication is sparse with my inquiries met with "I'll e-mail you when it's done". I asked to know the status, and got no response. She also said she would contact me to let me know what needed to be done - but did not. The blades need cleaning, the aperture ring is loose and I want it coded. Her lack of communication and the longer than expected wait worry me. I bet I receive the lens back without the aperture ring tightened at the very least.

MCTuomey · 05-28-2010

Daniel, Sherry often appears to get overwhelmed with work volume (or so I think). She is a one-woman shop. At these times her more typical communication and turnaround suffer, in my experience. It's hard, of course, but try to be patient despite the unaccounted delay. She may surprise you, after all.

[Full apologies if any of the above sounds at all condescending. Only sharing my POV.]

rpsawin · 05-28-2010

Daniel,

I know the wait can be a bit frustrating. I had to wait a few weeks when my summicron was repaired. It turns out some parts are very difficult to get from Leica especially if it comes from the Motherland...hang in there. It's worth the wait.

Best regards,

Bob

charchar · 05-28-2010

My Summicron only stayed with her for 3 weeks for complete CLA.