Re: [Leica] New shutter-speed dial

[Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com>]

Glenn Waterfield wrote, in part:

> Curious that Leica decided to re-engineer the shutter speed dial
> and associated gear train, top plate, etc. rather than reverse the
> order of the LED's with a little change in the printed circuits.
> 

Sometimes the simplest statements are the most profound.  It never occurred
to me, but if having the LEDs point in the direction you were supposed to
turn the shutter dial, it would have been a simple matter to rewire the
LEDs, as you say.

Then again, I believe that if they'd done that, the LEDs would point in the
opposite direction that you had to turn the aperture ring.

Besides, I still don't believe Leica's cop out answer about having the
shutter dial turn the same way as the LEDs point.  The shutter dial is
horizontal, while the LEDs are vertical.  That means that depending upon if
you consider the LEDs to refer to the FRONT of the dial, or the BACK of the
dial, you actually get a reversal of the direction.  The existing LEDs must
have worked just fine, if assuming that they referred to the direction of
rotation of the rearward most part of the shutter dial.

Changing the direction of rotation is akin to Micro$oft changing the damn
menu layout between each successive version of Word they released.   If
you've had an interaction device function in the same manner for over 40
years (or even more?  Since 1925?) and an established base of a few hundred
thousand users (more?  millions?) then you simply DO NOT start screwing
around with the design.

M.

- -- 
Martin Howard                     | "Very funny Scotty.  Now beam down
Interactive Systems Designer      | my clothes."
email: mvhoward@mac.com           |
www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------