Re: Leica repairs

[ted grant <75501.3002@CompuServe.COM>]

Jim Brick wrote:

<<<<As a pro, and you have a very expensive production in place and a key piece
of equipment goes south, and even though you have a backup, as any good pro will
have, you do indeed have "first dibs" on the repair technicians.>>>

g'day Jim,

Of course that's the way it reads and works, or should.  When single sentences
or small phrase portions are pulled out of context, some folks and "it includes
me, unfortunately at times" we put ourselves at the same low level as
politicians and some lousy members of the media.

In doing so the complete meaning of what was said originally is twisted
completely out of context, hence 100 posts about nothing but creating anguish
and confusion between friends.

It seems of late I'm getting antsy about what I suggest, say or put out from
experience or under emotion for fear of starting a 100 postings of blithering
gibberish.

Sort of had a bad day yesterday shooting in a deep forest valley and having an
R7 crap out (God I hate to admit it), but that's life! The R8 all of a sudden
has this little "Err" sign in the information window on the back as I'm
reloading ( damn what the hell is that!")  and that's the end of camera gear (we
had back/shoulder packed as much as it was possible through dense forest under
growth" in hind sight we should have 5 or 6 bodies with us)  unless I send Sandy
my assistant back to the 4X4,  2 miles through the bush for another
camera_______in 95 degree heat____.

Hell it was my own fault with the R8 because as I had shot the last frame and in
some manner had turned the control dial to "F" for the internal flash meter and
not realized it.  This in turn creates a panic by me and the moment was saved by
super-assistant Sandy who took camera in hand and she said " look here stupid!
(she works for me right!":) and turns the dial to "A" aperture setting. Smiles
and says, "Panic over get back to work!"

So when I tell a little incident of the LEICA R8 and ""how a photographer not
really readying the instruction manual"" and things go wrong: the message is: 

 _____hey guys and gals______ very important to read the manual and learn what
all those little signals really mean and memorize them, it'll save you
considerable brain damage in the "middle of taking pictures for fun or income!"

aaaaaaah I'm still drag assed out this morning after a 15 1/2 hours beating
through the bush and driving 12 hours and have to start into another forest
thing in about two hours. 

And camera service? 

R7 is packed, Fed Ex is called and it'll be gone to-day and back on Tuesday,
this being the weekend and I pulled out another R7 and an M6 just in case! :)
Hey such is life for a working photographer!

And, "oh yeah lets be careful out there and make sure you read the manuals!" :)

ted