Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/23

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Subject: [Leica] 1/500 sync & M camera Maintenance
From: "Sal DiMarco,Jr." <sdmp007@pressroom.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 14:48:17 -0400

Luggers,
    Kyle C. & Michael B. asked about a focal plane electronic flash unit.
    Well, several years ago, Olympus showed one at a Photokina (I don't
remember which one) which would work with a focal plane shutter up to a
1/4000 sec.
    Seeing this as my Leica M fill flash salvation, I got  the resident
technical genius for the National Geographic to look at it and he said it
would not work on an M camera (internal circuitry for a specific Olympus
camera only) and he felt the build left much to be desired. No joy here.
    When Nikon introduced either the F4 or the N-90, they hired Joe McNally
to promote the camera and one of the flash features was a this long delay
tube to snyc at very high speeds, it was a great idea but the execution
failed again.
    My guess is it was the same internals for the strobe. FYI- the Nikon and
Canon dedicated strobes are both made by the same manufacturer in Japan. A
Canon rep once told me his ABC123 EOS strobe was identical to the Nikon
SB-1243 or whatever.
    Maybe the technology has improved and can be done today.

    M CAMERA Maintenance,
    When I first started using Leicas in 1968/9, Walter Heun, Head of Leica
Special Sales & Services told me to have my cameras CLAed once every five
years, "Unless you do something to them." (For you clowns out there, this
means dropping them or 'extended' time in a dusty/dirty environment.)
    Well, I've owned M2/3/4/5/6/ M4-2/M4-Ps and a whole bunch of reflex
stuff since then and an state Walter's advice is correct and I seriously
doubt most all of you are easier on your gear than Iam.

Happy Snaps,
Sal DiMarco, Jr.