About 6 weeks ago I noticed a UK dealer on the auction site offering a 300/4
m.Zuiko for a three figure B.I.N. price – about 2/3rds the usual selling
price, for an Olympus-refurbished lens with Olympus UK 90 day warranty, but
without the integral hood. Apparently an Olympus UK press demonstration
lens.
Hmm, how much for the hood? Olympus UK responded that it would be a repair
which for the 300/4 would be at a guide price of GBP200, subject to
confirmation once they had seen the lens. Sounded good, so back to the
auction site.
Gone already!
But wait, it reappeared a couple of weeks ago - same lens, same red sticker
on the barrel, buyer’s remorse? I didn’t hesitate, registered the repair on
the Olympus website, printed off the paid shipping label and sent it off
almost as soon as it arrived. I only removed the tripod foot for ease of
packing, and sent it with an aftermarket rear cap – maybe they would replace
with a real Olympus cap, and maybe they would put a dress ring on the tripod
foot mounting – I could only hope!
I tracked the shipment to Portugal where it arrived 8 days later, but no
confirmation of price arrived, just a note that it shipped two days after
arriving. What does that mean, not repairable? I had to wait a mere two days
for DHL to deliver.
No new rear cap.
No dress ring.
Just a new tripod foot…
…and a new integral hood…
…and an envelope…
With no more than a note of the work done, on the letterhead of Keymed, the
UK distributor, signed by the technician who made the repair…
…as a warranty repair, free of charge.
Conclusion – Olympus *did* close their imaging division in UK, as Olympus
Optical (UK) Ltd is no more, all is run by the medical systems division
(Keymed). To the satisfaction of one customer at least!
Smug? Who me?
Piers
PS I did run a few test shots before shipping it off. Handheld -
astoundingly good!
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