Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/06/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] M6HM
From: "Dale R. Reed" <dale-reed@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 18:52:57 -0700

Dan Cardish wrote:
<snip>
> 
> In my opinion, the slight disadvantage of the 35mm framelines is more than
> made up by the improved 50mm frame.  And if you ever use a 90mm, the HM
> wins, no contest!

I am new to Leica.  Actually I had taken very few photos since I took
about a thousand while wintering over a couple years in Antarctica 40
years ago. I used a Kodak Retina IIIc during those trips.

I purchased a new M6HM about three months ago and I particularly enjoy
shooting SCALA BW slides.  I have 35mm 50mm and 90mm lens but generally
use the 50mm.  I am 63 years old with astigmatism that uses reading
glasses to read and stare at the CRT, a distance prescription to drive,
hike, etc., and when I pistol shoot I have another prescription for
that.  But I can see OK with no glasses at all.

When using my M6HM I am still fighting the focus.  Sometimes I use my
glasses(distance prescription) and sometimes I don't.  But I think I am
homing in on focusing with my glasses on.  The 35mm framing for sure and
sometimes the 50mm I do with my glasses pushed up on my forehead.  

I am obtaining better photos as I practice.  I am limited more by my
lack of ability to see interesting well lit subjects than I am by any
camera limitation.  I expect to improve my eye and ability to control
the best depth of field and to properly expose for the shadows as I run
rolls of film through the camera. I take notes in a little notebook so I
can refer back to my settings as I study the resulting slides on a
projector/screen and on a light table with 4x and 10x magnifiers.  

I recently purchased some colored filters and ND filters.  I was hiking
in the Cascades the other day and wanted to take of photo of a waterfall
at a slow speed and realized I could not adjust the lens opening small
enough in the bright sun.  That is what the ND filters are for.  

Great fun and you LUGers helped out a lot in helping buy the right gear.
All he equipment has worked fine since new.  

And thanks for the tips on the incident light readings.  I think that I
will buy a relatively inexpensive "backup" meter that will measure
incident light and I will use a 18% gray card.  And possibly experiment
with foam cups.  

I needed the backup meter the other day because I forgot to turn the
timing control to B while the camera was wrapped in a towel in its foam
lined briefcase.  It must of been wrapped too tight and the batteries
were run down.  I have to learn some things the hard way.  That is how I
had to learn to be careful that the film is being wound after inserting
a new roll.  

I wonder what my next lesson will be?      Dale
- -- 
$  dale-reed@worldnet.att.net   Seattle, Washington U.S.A.  $