Bill Blackwell
Leica M Shooter
I own five ZM lenses (18mm Distagon, 25mm Biogon, 28mm Biogon, 35mm Distagon, and 50mm Planar) and none of them "wobble" by any definition.
PRJ
Another Day in Paradise
I had a wobbler 14 years ago. Zeiss Germany took care of it and it has been fine ever since.
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
So this wobble - is it like a slight rocking motion when turning the focusing ring?
Whatever it is, it cannot be worse than the cheap plastic fragile aperture ring on my 35/2 Summicron v4. Just turning that ring feels like it’s going to pop right off whatever little plastic track it’s riding in. There is no solid feel going from one stop to the next - it’s like tossing a rock down a cobblestone road. It’s just not enjoyable to use and reeks of poor quality.
The ZM cannot possibly be worse. I wonder if I can sell my v4 and replace it with a ZM and have money left over for film.
Whatever it is, it cannot be worse than the cheap plastic fragile aperture ring on my 35/2 Summicron v4. Just turning that ring feels like it’s going to pop right off whatever little plastic track it’s riding in. There is no solid feel going from one stop to the next - it’s like tossing a rock down a cobblestone road. It’s just not enjoyable to use and reeks of poor quality.
The ZM cannot possibly be worse. I wonder if I can sell my v4 and replace it with a ZM and have money left over for film.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
That's not the issue with the Zeiss lenses. The entire front lens barrel wobbles back and forth on them when they develop the problem. That kind of wobble can happen on any lens that is heavily used. I've seen a number of Leica lenses that wobble, as well as Nikon AiS and other good SLR and rangefinder lenses. The problem with the ZM lenses is that it often happened on lenses that were not very old.
Ray Vonn 2023
Established
C Sonnar and Biogon owner for some years and no wobbles here.
Kai-san
Filmwaster
Sounds like a good deal.........
f.hayek
Well-known
The former sells for ~$3k whilst the latter, $700. Enough left over for a nice trip.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Looks like a fear mongering. Reminds me ten years old threads - could I buy from Japan.The first seller has 94.9% positive feedback, way below what I trust.
The item is a counterfeit.
(Private listing)h***b (2) Past month
Bad service, no response after refunded without any notice. And claimed items no longer available, but the items are still made available on the page. unethical seller. Will never believe such nonsense story again. Shop at your own risk!
Ghibli My Neighbor Totoro Water Garden Bonsai Figurine Kasayado Anime Rare (#295659349762)3***t (6)
US $496.99Past month
Hi honest Japan, I am call you dishonest Japan. Wrong item was sent, and I want to working with you to resolve this problem but you are can’t do it. Then you will get this negative.
(Private listing)9***b (262) Past month
Terrible communication. Responded on 1st query a few days later and I have reached out multiple other times and have not received a response at all.
Tag Heuer Connected SAR8A80 Men's Wristwatch Sapphire Crystal Silver Stainless (#295648839139)i***h (270)
US $579.99Past 6 months
The seller is most likely a scammer! I bought a product from him on April 21st. But he still hasn't sent it and today is May 10, I wrote him 9 times!!! And he answered once that he would allegedly send it soon and disappeared again without sending anything! I will open a complaint against this seller and I do not recommend all potential buyers to contact him if your nerves, time and money are dear to you!
Sega Genesis Mini 2 16-Bit Video Game System Black US Edition 60 Games (#295603094943)a***_ (60)
US $142.49Past 6 months
This seller is a FRAUD! I purchased item in April 18th. Exactly 1 week later and no shipping information?? WTF!@ they still said the item was available to buy? They obviously do not know how to run a business !! AVOID SELLER !!
Fiio M11Pro Portable Digital Audio Player High Resolution Audio Equipment (#295636025850)s***8 (36)
US $367.99Past 6 months
🚨🚨🚨DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SCAMMER🚨🚨🚨 ORDERED MY ITEM ON 4/9/23 AND TILL THIS DAY HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT. TODAY IS 4/24/23 AND SELLER CLAIMS TO HAVE DROPPED IT OFF BUT ONCE I CONTACTER DHL THEY HAVE NO WORD ON SUCH SHIPMENT. NOW I HAVE TO CLAIM WITH EBAY. 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 SCAM SELLER🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
Nintendo DSi LL Yellow Handheld Game Console Video Games with Tracking (#295565963773)y***n (410)
US $249.99Past 6 months
⛔️DO NOT TRUST⛔️Seller has sold the item to another seller AFTER I had won the item! Very greedy and the seller has been reported to eBay! ⛔️DO NOT TRUST⛔️
Cartier Necklace Lapis Lazuli Scarab Design K18 YellowGold Pendant Ladies (#295637998738)u***d (1006)
US $1,532.99Past 6 months
I purchased on 4/7/2023 and now is 04/17/2023, he still not ship anything yet. I contacted seller 8 times & no response. This is just totally unacceptable. Buyers be advised, This is just a SCAM & CROOK. He list things he does NOT actually have. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SELLER. They NEVER SHIPPED MY ITEM & THEY DO NOT RESPOND TO MESSAGES... I HAD TO REPORT TO EBAY AND TRY TO GET A REFUND.
Carl Zeiss Lens Distagon T* 1.4/35 ZM Black ZM Mount For Leica M For Zeiss (#295562807281)n***n (331)
US $1,599.99Past 6 months
Unresponsive, slow to ship.
Seiko Selection Quartz Pokemon Special Model Pikachu SCXP175 Wristwatch (#295466377317)s***s (29)
US $284.04Past 6 months
I initially purchased an item from this seller on 3/5/2023. It is now 3/18 and the item is still not shipped. I contacted the sellor five times but all i got is zero response. I can understand delays but for over two weeks not getting any response is just unacceptable. Buyers be advised, it seems like this seller had a similar issues with different products. They post without an actual item.
Eagle Racing Motor dyno MD1-V2 (Brush Motor Only) 2493V2 Pro Spec Power (#295509938251)0***6 (11)
US $137.74Past 6 months
Order got cancelled on me
Sony MD Mini Disc Deck Record Player MDS-E12 Playback Recorder Home Audio (#295473106698)k***o (33)
US $219.99Past 6 months
This was only a mildly negative experience. Seller did not have the item to sell. They most likely are a middlemen that list items from other sites or stores. If they can’t secure the item they will refund your money, they are not crooks. I am ok that they are middlemen, they just take 12 or 13 days before they let you know they can’t get your item. If you have to choose between middlemen or other sellers offering the same item, my guess is they are not the fastest brokers to work with.
Schott N.Y.C Harris Tweed Perfecto Brand Riders Jacket Men's Size M Green Check (#295475079886)n***a (107)
US $424.64Past 6 months
Seller cancelled my purchase due to trouble shipping because of covid19, this is obviously a LIE, i've been receiving packages from japan from fedex and japan post since january and 2022. LIARS
GBL Studio Ghibli Spirited Away Rayon Skajin Men's Size L Embroideries Black (#295078585230)e***i (111)
US $373.06Past 6 months
SCAM. Seller contacted me trying to sell another watch, claiming the one i bought was lost in warehouse. The watch he was trying to sell me with a ridiculous discount for the 'inconvenience' was of terrible quality and obviusly a scam product. Beware as other buyers have reported the same about this seller !!!
Casio Edifice solar watch EQB-501XDB-1AJF Digital Analog Watches Men's (#295278828690)u***v (230)
US $174.83Past 6 months
Attention! The seller sends incomplete goods, later explains that they took out / got lost at customs. When I took the package out of the plastic courier bag, it was intact.
Casio G-Shock Ichiro Collaboration Watch DW-6600 Limited Model Vintage With Box (#295048643287)u***l (5)
US $393.96Past 6 months
Order was place 7 business days ago. On the 6th days, i Received notification from the seller that the item was no longer available and tried offering me similar used shoes at a discounted price (not in good condition). Offered me a refund and now doesn’t not reply to my messages. Don’t buy from this seller. Nothing honest about how they do business. Should’ve offered an immediate refund.
Nike AirJordan4 SE Black and Light Steel Canvas DH7138-006 27.5cm US9.5 (#295253627810)p***p (365)
US $319.73Past 6 months
This seller list things he doesn't actually have. He claimed the warehouse went out if business due to covid, so he offered a replacement and asked me to confirm which would have been acceptable. However, the same item with the same pictures he sent me was listed by another seller, and this seller hasn't responded to messages for 7 days. Seems like a scam to me. I've asked for a refund but if course no response. So now I have to wait until December to get a refund from eBay. Not happy.
Casio G-Shock GA-2100THS-1AJR Men's Wristwatch with Box & Replacement Band (#295102528662)n***t (89)
US $230.63Past year
Bought this item on 1st Oct. Has not been dispatched and seller has not replied any of my emails. Posting now changed to item not in stock . Obviously a scam.
Zeiss Planar T * 50mm F2 ZM Leica Mount Manual Focus Camera Lens with Box (#295104435457)7***w (31)
US $537.53Past year
Paid for a order on 2-10-2022. Got the message that the product wasn t available anymore and I had the option to choose an other similar product. Since then silence and no money back.
GPD Pocket 2S 3965Y Memory 8GB SSD 256GB Windows10 Black Japan Import (#295106054873)e***i (4)
US $473.36Past year
Steer clear of honest Japan selling a watch he did not have in his possession. I paid to have the watch verified 1.3k+ on sept 20th was notified “the warehouse he had it stored at went out of business during Covid. I am not buying this excuse 1 bit just waiting for my refund. Very disappointed
Omega Seamaster 300 Date 2561.80 Quartz Watch Display Analog Mens With box (#295005338732)r***h (116)
US $1,203.41Past year
SOLD ME FAKE CHANEL SHOES - I had them authenticated by two sources - Authentication First and Real Authentication both deemed fake. Do not buy designer items from this seller! They are also very slow to communicate.
Chanel Loafer Lambskin Ladies Shoes Loafer Black 24cm US 7 With Protective Bag (#295204058331)c***c (1084)
US $833.99Past year
This seller really doesn t reply...it took a LONGGG time until they reply and they said they don t have the item. Seller seems nice after they replied, but they need to reply sooner. Thank you!
Balenciaga Denim Jacket Crashed Back Logo MCO557351 Blue Men's Size 44 (#294809583240)0***y (22)
US $890.99Past year
DON T BUY FROM THIS PERSON. HE/SHE DOES NOT RESPOND TO MESSAGES. NEVER SHIPPED MY ITEM FOR 2 WEEKS AFTER MESSAGING MANY TIMES UNTIL I HAD TO REPORT TO EBAY AND GET A REFUND. SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY AND DON T BUY FROM THEM. THEY CHANGE THEIR USERNAME CONSISTENTLY AS WELL SO BE CAREFUL. NOT TRUSTWORTHY AT ALL!
adidas Soccer Spike X Speedflow 1 FG Clear Onyx FY6866 US Size 12 Mens (#294993463818)h***r (5)
US $110.99Past year
As a seller I do not recommend it to anyone, they do not respond to emails, you ask for an item and they send you another, a lot of delay. I asked him for shoes number 10.5 and he sent number 10
(Private listing)
The second seller primarily sells low-cost game cartridges. Not a regular seller of camera gear. Japanese Pawn Shop? Not a camera dealer.
You can take chances with sellers like this that are far, far away. It's a gamble. Might work out, might not. If anyone buys from either of these Ebay Dealers- you are taking a big risk. Myself- Stay Far, Far away from dealers with feedback this bad. "Honest.Japan.Shop" Face it Flounder, you Trusted Them.
B&H is representative of a full-service store that sells items new, with warranty.
Rangefinder Lenses | Leica M Mount Lenses | B&H Photo
See B&H's vast selection of Rangefinder Lenses from top brands like Leica, ZEISS, Voigtlander and Meyer-Optik Gorlitz, all at unbelievable prices.www.bhphotovideo.com
Ebay, buying out of Japan- figure it's like buying a used lens, if it is broken- you are stuck with it.
First, we are protected by PayPal. Second, it is big seller with most reviews positive.
Third, used ones are even less expensive, so it is not uncommon to see new items sold just for slightly more.
I have purchased with sellers under not 100% ratings without problems.
But if you want to keep it on the level of some assumptions....
ZM line is at dusty dead end. Just like rest of other Zeiss labeled lenses, we have recent tread about discontinuation. It is not surprising to see items like this, not moving stock clearance. The particular seller looks like typical whole seller. Minimal margins and sells everything. With some mistakes and not impressive correspondence. I had really good deals with sellers like this.
Not fear mongering, I checked out your suggested sellers. They are poor choices for anyone buying camera equipment. If you do a search with sort on low-price, sure- they come to the top of the list. So do Scam Artist.
If you are going to put up some random Ebay seller on this website as a source for showing "that some members are getting hosed", put up an honest seller. I've bought from many sellers in Japan. I would not buy from the ones that you endorsed.
Here ya go Leica M11 for a starting bid of $2,800.
Leica Camera M11 Body | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Leica Camera M11 Body at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Seller with 0 feedbacks, BUT-
Breathe easy. Returns accepted.
Shipping:
US $25.00 Economy Shipping from outside US. See detailsfor shipping
International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.
Located in: Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Yeah. Breathe Easy! What could possibly go wrong?
And- to add- By the Same Seller!
trinket | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for trinket at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Adorable Trinket!
Ships from
Shipping:
US $8.15 Standard Shipping. See detailsfor shipping
Located in: Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Wow! This seller gets around! Accepts returns on the M11, but not on the adorable trinket.
Returns:
Seller does not accept returns. See details- for more information about returns
If it is too good to be true, make sure you can hold it and test it before paying for it. Like my pair of $15 Leicas with lenses. Black III with Elmar and IIIa with Summar. Antique Store. Nikon M with 5cm F1.4 "5005"- that was $30, antique store.
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 82967
Guest
That's why I like Polls ... one way to find out a norm +/- the margin of error
Retro-Grouch
Mentor
Now I have bad GAS for that Adorable Trinket! The M11? Meh!Not fear mongering, I checked out your suggested sellers. They are poor choices for anyone buying camera equipment. If you do a search with sort on low-price, sure- they come to the top of the list. So do Scam Artist.
If you are going to put up some random Ebay seller on this website as a source for showing "that some members are getting hosed", put up an honest seller. I've bought from many sellers in Japan. I would not buy from the ones that you endorsed.
Here ya go Leica M11 for a starting bid of $2,800.
Leica Camera M11 Body | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Leica Camera M11 Body at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
Seller with 0 feedbacks, BUT-
Breathe easy. Returns accepted.
Shipping:
US $25.00 Economy Shipping from outside US. See detailsfor shipping
International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.
Located in: Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Yeah. Breathe Easy! What could possibly go wrong?
And- to add- By the Same Seller!
trinket | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for trinket at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
Adorable Trinket!
Ships from
Shipping:
US $8.15 Standard Shipping. See detailsfor shipping
Located in: Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Wow! This seller gets around! Accepts returns on the M11, but not on the adorable trinket.
Returns:
Seller does not accept returns. See details- for more information about returns
If it is too good to be true, make sure you can hold it and test it before paying for it. Like my pair of $15 Leicas with lenses. Black III with Elmar and IIIa with Summar. Antique Store. Nikon M with 5cm F1.4 "5005"- that was $30, antique store.
f.hayek
Well-known
Osh, Kyrgyzstan.
Home to a big-ass statue of Lenin and an impressive Silk Road mosque. Surprised they haven't melted Vladimir Ilyich into bronze ornamental chamber pots.
Save on postage and pick it up in person!
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
That must be a typographical error. Surely they are optimistically asking $300 for the v4. People who smoke $100 bills in their cigars might pay $3k for it only as a charity donation.
I didn’t pay anywhere near $3k, but I wouldn’t foist mine on anyone for even $300. $700 for the ZM seems worth it.
f.hayek
Well-known
Type IV, the phony "King of Bokeh"? US$2500-3000. Think of the Canon 35/1.5. Asking prices are $5-6k. Is that one worth it? Nope.
Count yourself lucky.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
They're talking about the 35mm summicron, not the 50mm. The 35mm version IV Summicron is ridiculously expensive, and really does sell for more than $3000.
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
That’s what I have: 35mm f/2 Summicron version 4. I don’t understand how Leica let these out the door. Optics ok, maybe. Mechanical aspect is laughable (see post #43).
I need to look at these ZM’s.
Out to Lunch
Menteur
Phew, happy we got that one out of the way. Cheers, OtL
Pioneer
Mentor
Don't know how many Zeiss ZM lenses wobble. All I have to go on is my own experience. Mine don't.
I bought my Zeiss Ikon back in 2011 along with the C Sonnar 50 and the Tele Tessar 85. A little while later I picked up the 50/2 Planar off of E-Bay. The Sonnar is a fine lens but for what its worth that Planar is my absolute favorite 50mm lens for any rangefinder. Finally about 5 years ago I bought the 35/2 Biogon.
So, I own 4 of them, and they have been used for quite awhile on the Zeiss Ikon as well as several Leica M cameras over the years. They all work just fine. Not a wobble in the bunch. I certainly don't use each of these lenses every time I shoot a roll of film in a rangefinder but I use each of them a fair amount; probably the Tele-Tessar the least and the Planar the most.
As far as I'm concerned they are very good lenses, mechanically as well as optically. How long will they last? I haven't got a clue but at my age the odds are that they will outlive me.
I bought my Zeiss Ikon back in 2011 along with the C Sonnar 50 and the Tele Tessar 85. A little while later I picked up the 50/2 Planar off of E-Bay. The Sonnar is a fine lens but for what its worth that Planar is my absolute favorite 50mm lens for any rangefinder. Finally about 5 years ago I bought the 35/2 Biogon.
So, I own 4 of them, and they have been used for quite awhile on the Zeiss Ikon as well as several Leica M cameras over the years. They all work just fine. Not a wobble in the bunch. I certainly don't use each of these lenses every time I shoot a roll of film in a rangefinder but I use each of them a fair amount; probably the Tele-Tessar the least and the Planar the most.
As far as I'm concerned they are very good lenses, mechanically as well as optically. How long will they last? I haven't got a clue but at my age the odds are that they will outlive me.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
If you ever decide to foist yours off on someone for $300, let me know. I had to sell mine after I had my stroke and could never afford to replace it at today's prices.
AAlfano
Well-known
"Premium" = higher markup, nothing more.