Voigtländer repair experiences

Hi,

Has anyone here ever sent a (Cosina) Voigtländer lens for repair, for any reason? To a designated dealer/repair facility I suppose, and it would seem from what I've read most if not all repairs go to Japan and Cosina.

I ask because I saw on FM R Cicala make a comment some years back (2016 I think) on how even a dented filter ring could take six months and I believe it as I sent my 21/3,5 for an electrical issue while in warranty towards the very end of 2020. So far the feedback from the reseller (there's no designated repair channel in Sweden as far as I'm aware, hardly even a reseller, this lens was purchased from a larger reseller in central Europe) is that "it's still in Japan".

I realize today's component shortage and shipping delays might be factors in play so I judge I may see it / get some sort of update before the end of 2021 but I'm not actually counting on it, and this because of the zero comms from Japan, I guess.

Since many love Cosina Voigtländers E-mount lenses I wanted to ask whether anyone has had a repair errand, then, and still do? I mean yes probably, it's a super contrasty little sunstar lens that I really do miss now that it's gone; it's just that the 2 or 3 year voigtländer warranty seems a bit fragile and it would be Great to hear some positive beats.

Edited by Kilkry - 18 June 2021 at 19:46

Since there is very little to wrong in these lenses they probably don't have many repair requests. I wouldn't be surprised if voigtlander probably hasn't invested a great deal in after sales repair support.
It is best to go via. a reseller or a shop if possible.

I have had one voigtlander lens "repaired" by a shop in the UK under their warranty (shops in the UK provide 6 months warranty on used lenses). The lens was repaired within two days of them receiving it. That makes me think it was locally repaired and most probably not by voigtlander. It was a fully manual lens that basically needed a bit of cleaning inside.


Edited by nandbytes - 19 June 2021 at 09:31

hmmm.... let me split this up and address your points individually so as to not confuse matters.

Kilkry wrote: Also, "there is very little to go wrong with these lenses", how do you know? : )

Because the there is no AF, no OSS, no electronic aperture control, even the ones with electronics are very basic EXIF information. The lenses themselves are mostly small some with simpler optical formulae (in comparison to say noct f09.5 lens) without floating elements and exotic designs as such.

So I feel there isn't a huge lot that can go wrong unless you dropped one or damaged it inadvertently which wouldn't be covered by warranty anyway.

Kilkry wrote: If the manufacturer gives a three year warranty they should have a service, it shouldn't be a black hole.

I completely agree.

Kilkry wrote: It seems weird to assume that because a manufacturer sells lenses with metallic cases and no AF they shouldn't be expected to have a reasonable warranty service.

I have made no such assumption. I simply said I would not be surprised if this was the case.
I do not know if this is the case or not and not implying one way or another.

hope that clarifies things

Kilkry wrote: We don't know what kind of quality the internal circuitry in the modern E Voigtländers have.

While do not know the quality of the internal circuitry its fairly safe to make an educated guess at it. It will not be a complicated circuit and anyone with basic electronics knowledge inc. myself could probably design it.
All it does is pass through the aperture setting & focus setting to the camera body both of which are mechanically controlled on the lens. The focal length and lens details are hard coded in. It will be a very simple chip tbh, hard to get it wrong and not much in it to break.

Unlike in AF lenses the electronics themselves have no control over the lens and only does reporting.

Well, if no one but Lensrentals ever sent a Voigtländer lens in for a warranty repair, or at least no one lived to talk about it, then let me have the honors:

Had queried the reseller and not received a reply within a couple of days so mentally (six months after the lens was received by the reseller) I'd given up a little bit. A lens I'd thought about getting for a while that could be a companion to the 21/3,5 , or rather replacement now, was the FE 20 1,8. So I ordered that one and the next day I received a reply that the Voigt had been repaired and was on its way back to me. Nearly fell off the chair. A part (the name tells me nothing) has been replaced and prelim testing suggests it is now fit as fiddle again.

So my take on the Voigt 3 year warranty: slow* but existant and correct**.

I hope this can alleviate the worry of someone at some point in time.

*Have not had a repair case before I believe with any lens manufacturer so a little bit hard to say whether the above time frame is normal. As per lensrentals I guess it is a bit slow.

**Lens looks like when I sent it in, appears to work, repair work done mentioned, and check of resolution, infin focus and "each part's function".



Edited by Kilkry - 09 July 2021 at 19:38