[Leica] Re: RRS M plaate #B30

["Philip S. Kronenberg" <philkvt@vt.edu>]

>
>From: "Jeff S" <segawa@netone.com>
>Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 22:58:21 -0700
>Subject: [Leica] RRS M plate #B30?
>
>Anyone purchase Really Right Stuff's Leica M plate? Would be keen on hearing
>opinions, pro and con. I have no plans to buy an M grip, and my camera won't
>take a winder, so that's not a factor, either.
>

Jeff,

I was just about to post a comment on the RRS plate for the M when I saw
your message.

I re-M'd myself with an M6 and a 35 Summicron and 90 Elmarit two weeks ago
from Don Chatterton--who was a delight to buy from and he provided some very
helpful supplements to the wisdom I have acquired from many LUGers over the
past several months as a lurker on this list. I had an M2R and CL in the
late 70s with three lenses but abandoned them to work subsequently with MF
stuff--Rolleiflex and Hassy and SLRs (mainly Nikon and one Canon EOS--both
lines of which I still maintain and find to be excellent). 

I bought the RRS #30 because I use RRS plates with my Arca-Swiss ball head
for 35mm and Plaubel 67 work in the field. I was happily surprised when I
put the RRS plate on the M6 to discover that, in addition to functioning for
its original purpose of quick release work on my tripod, it also provided a
nice, supplemental griping surface that protected the M6's baseplate. I
haven't used it long enough to say that it serves as a completely
satisfactory supplemental grip--it's not for everyone. But my sense after
using it for more than a week is that, if you have medium to large hands, it
may be what you want on your M. The RRS folks--Brian Geyer and his wife are
the owners--have produced a beautifully-machined, lightweight plate in
anodized black aluminum that looks good on the M and is a precision add-on.
Of course, if you do field work with a tripod and especially if you work
with several bodies, the Arca-Swiss ball head makes very good sense.

                -Phil Kronenberg