Re: [Leica] Stupid question: the shutter in the bag

[Nathan Wajsman <nathan.wajsman@euronet.be>]

Hi Jeff,

I share your assessment of the SLRs vs. M6. My autofocus camera is the Pentax
PZ1P, and while it is a nice one, it is not always easy to use quickly.

On those occasions when I do not or cannot take my Leica with me, I take my
Ricoh GR1 point and shoot. The reason I chose that particular model is precisely
that it will yield control to you: you have aperture priority, exposure
compensation, and a modicum of manual focus (you can set it to infinity or to a
"snap" mode, fixed at about 3 meters).

Nathan


Jeff S wrote:

> Congratulations on your new M6, Nathan! I am comfortable with electronic
> cameras, but I do admit that I was tending to buy pretty expensive ones,
> because it seems that a person must get close to the N90s/F5/EOS-1n range
> before one gets a camera which has quick reflexes, and sometimes, only the
> very top models seem to have controls designed to be used in a hurry, and
> some only reluctantly, awkwardly, relinquish full control. Some
> point-and-shoots are capable of very fine results, but my experience has
> been that it's almost IN SPITE of the camera, and that effective use of them
> requires FOOLING THE CAMERA INTO DOING THE RIGHT THING!
>
> I don't have to resort to trickery to use my Ms effectively, and that, I
> very much like.
>
> Regarding the shutter issue: I don't worry much about most focal plane
> shutters. Bear in mind that they are ALWAYS under a certain amount of spring
> tension, and I don't think that leaving it uncocked makes a big diff. On
> some leaf shutters, I've noticed that setting at the higher shutter speeds
> requires some effort, as it's apparently (really) tensioning some springs,
> and in these cases, I'll mainly ensure that I don't leave it on those high
> speeds unless needed.
>
> Secret to Leica happiness: Don't worry about it; just enjoy! They are harder
> to wear out than you'd think.
>
> Jeff