Re: [Leica] Suggestion for Second body

[John Coan <jcoan@alumni.duke.edu>]

I'll contribute the viewpoint of one with extremely limited experience
regarding the shutter speed dial.  I'm on my third roll of film with a
new M6 TTL, and never actually exposed a roll on the M6 classic I had in
and had to return to the seller because of a defect.  I did however "dry
fire" a number of times.

Three items make the TTL version easier to use IMO.  

First, the speed dial is physically larger and it is thus easier to turn
with the forefinger contacting the dial from the front of the top
plate.  It spins easily this way.  The classic dial was not as large in
diameter and seemed to work best using thumb and forefinger.  

Second, it turns the way the arrows on the meter point.  This is simply
more intuitive for a neophyte unfamiliar with either camera. However,
I'm sure with practice the unintuitive method would quickly be learned. 
And with even more learning, one could condition himself to switch back
and forth based on viewfinder image.  If the LEDs have a central red dot
turn one way; if not, turn the other way.

Third, the central red dot gives quick confirmation of a correct
exposure setting faster to a newbie than illumination of both arrows
only.  One sees the dot and he's good to go.  But, perhaps the dot
should have been made with a green LED.  Green equals go.

But, also IMO, there is one drawback with the TTL.  It is slower to get
into action when grabbing from the bag due to the position of the "off"
setting.  The classic had no such setting; the meter circuitry simply
stopped drawing battery current when the shutter release wasn't pressed
for a while.  With the TTL, you have to rapidly spin the dial using
method one (above) to place it near the shsooting setting.  And, why oh
why did they put the off position next to Bulb rather than 1/1000?  When
bringing the camera into use aren't we all more likely to need a high
shutter speed than a sub-1/60 second setting?  This results in a lot of
rapid dial spinning and wear on those parts.

A bigger issue ... why does the camera need an "off" setting in the
first place when the meter shuts down of its own free will and accord a
few seconds after you release the shutter button?  There was a
supplemtary instruction page included in my box with strong admonitions
to use the "off" setting to keep the battery from running down.  Is this
really necessary?  Other messages here implied that there was a circuit
board anomoly that drained the battery on early TTL models that has
since been fixed.  I'm sure I'll forget one of these days when putting
the camera back in the bag and find out for myself.  It would certainly
make the camera faster to bring into action if you could leave your
shutter at 1/500 or so and ignore the "off" setting all together.

Some cameras I've used in the past didn't have a meter switch because
they used sellenium cells (Retina, Rolleiflex TLR) without batteries,
which was convenient.  Others (Nikon FE) used the wind lever position to
switch the meter on and off.  When the wind lever is nestled close to
the body the meter is off; when you move the lever out of its rest
position to allow the thumb room to wind the meter is on.  Seems like
this could have been incorporated into the design of the M6 TTL instead
of the "off" position on the shutter dial.  

Some cameras I've used don't have any meter switch at all despite being
operated on batteries.  The Rollei 35S is such an animal.  It relies on
the camera being stored in the leather pouch to keep light from hitting
the CDS meter and deflecting the galvanomic meter needle causing battery
drain.  The battery in this camera lasts for years.  The Rollei 35SE is
similarly without any switch, but uses a time out on the shutter release
button to cut off the LEDs (and the pouch storage trick too).

With regard to the M6TTL, of course, the battery is also running the
flash quenching circuitry and not just the meter.  But consider this --
the special TTL flash circuitry is needed only when taking flash
pictures with a dedicated flash.  So, why not design the dedicated flash
to supply voltage to the camera when mounted and turned on? Flashes have
lots of voltage available.  The camera's electronics could be designed
so that if a non-TTL flash were mounted in the hot shoe, or no flash
were mounted at all, all these electronics would remain unpowered and
the camera battery would once again be needed only to run the meter. 
Configured thus, no "off" switch would be required.

Just some random thoughts....  

John
> 
> Hi Jerry,
> 
> You idea of a 0.72 VF is good IMHO. So the M3 would be out (I don't even want to
> think to the Hexar or Bessa suggestion ;-) ). With your HM, you already cover
> 35-135 range. So you miss the 28 mm frame. A M6 or M4-P would do. The problem
> with the M6TTL is the speed selector. Do some of you Luggers use both a
> classical M with a TTL and do speed selector inversion causes problems?
> 
> --
> Jean-Claude Berger (jcberger@jcberger.com)
> Systems and RDBMS consultant (MCSE)
> Lyon, France
> http://www.jcberger.com
> 
> > I plan to purchase a second body, my kit right now is
> > M6HM, 35 cron ASPH, Noct, 75 Lux. SF20
> >
> > I am thinking of purchasing one of the following
> > M6 TTL (.72 magnification)
> > M3
> > M4-2
> > Hexar
> > or
> > Bessa RF
> >
> > I think I will prefer lower magnification since my first M6 already have .85
> > I am really tempted to buy the Hexar, but I don't like the battery size,
> > since its battery is very expensive in Indonesia.
> >
> > Please LUGgers advice me.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Jerry S. Justianto
> > http://www.asiagateway.com
> >
> >