IMO CS should be definitely included in your decision with spending this kind of money on alpha products. I think it should be right up there with all the other characteristics of the optics. ie: power, FOV, resolution, focus ability, clarity in low light and... CS
I would never consider a Leica product (or Zeiss for that matter) just because of the reports like these. And who needs to buy something from a company that involves such hit or miss luck of the draw service? Or you have to know the right guy or drop the right name. Pathetic.
Now Swarovski on the other hand-- LEGENDARY CS. No doubts when you buy their stuff.
Back to Leica and their CS-- here is an example for you. A friend of mine has a very nice Leica 8x32 Ultravid. Optics are superb. Well, I bought a used, not working 8x32 Pentax DCF ED; from a local second hand (well, OK- it was a pawn shop) and I called the service dept. of Pentax before I bought them and they said it would cost me 19.95 for the repair and to send them in (the focus would not go to the full far range). They said they would go in the repair line and it might take 4 weeks or so to get then back.
So I send them in with the $ 19.95 and I get them back in 10 days!! And they are perfect- focus silky smooth and optics are stunning. I knew that they were good when I bought them, so I took a chance on the service part. You do not even want to know what I paid for the Pentax's. Because it made my friend sick when he looked at mine and we compared the Leica's to the Pentax ED. Can you say- splitting hairs, and I mean literally- they are that close.
So a little while later, my friends Ultravid focuser goes belly up and is not working the way it should. Well he sends them in to Leica and what a fiasco. It took over 4 months to get them back and a bunch of phone calls and he did have to pay shipping. Must not have known the right guys. Terrible. My friend was sick about the whole thing, made him really ? Leica's after sale service. And it makes him even more sick when he looks through my Pentax's.
In the mean time I also send in my super Swarovski 7x30 SLC for a routine check up and cleaning and they come back in 2 weeks with a set of winged eye cups also thrown in gratis, just because I asked about them when I called. I asked how much they would be and they said we will let you know. And then the bino's show up with an extra set of Winged eyecups thrown in for no charge. And I did not even have a set before for them, I was just inquiring as to what they would be if I got them with the repair.
Now that is CS.
Swarovski has ALWAYS treated me right.
