Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/14

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Subject: [Leica] My Leica 'tis of thee
From: Robert Appleby <robert.appleby@tin.it>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 09:20:11 +0200

Mark, I've often been in situations where I've had to switch between films
and then forgotten to switch the film speed back. DX coding sounds like a
good idea to me. Surely the "philosophy" of the Leica M, to make
photography more direct without lots of fiddling with settings, is well
served by this feature?
As for AE, it can always be switched off, can't it? And why would a new
drive for the M be so appealing while the little motor in the Hexar is the
devil's work?
I love using the M (and don't use anything else), but I'm not blind to its
limitations. I don't presently own a Hexar, but if it came as just the body
at a reasonable price, I'd be tempted. If it had the F5's light meter in
it, I'd get one tomorrow. On the other hand, AF is not a feature I'd be
interested in.
It's true that in the end everything is dispensable except for shutter
speed, aperture and ISO settings. But sometimes it's convenient to have
more features and may make a difference in getting the shot. After seeing
my wife's results with the F100 shooting moving targets a lot of the time,
I can see how it's extremely useful for the kind of work she does.
I think working photographers generally have a pretty pragmatic approach to
equipment. Why this doctrinaire insistence on limiting the feature set of a
camera to what the M offers? 
Speak to me, bubbaloo!
Rob.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dante A Stella wrote:
> 
> Axel Schwieker wrote:
> 
> > This accuracy is of _no_ use if the smallest exposure adjustment you can
> > do on a M is 1/2-stop. 1/4 stop shutter+meter accuracy is enough.
> 
> But it is of use if you have a continuously-variable electronic shutter.
And
><Snip> 
> What camera lacks manual ISO?
> 
>   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Dante Stella


IMO a strange compulsion to not recognize the dispensability of most modern
camera "features".
If I really wanted the best shot i could get of my garage or tree in my back
yard I'd use my view camera of a design not much changed in a 160 years or
actually much more.
Of course I'd be constrained by not having one with DX coding!
I can't see how someone so into all these modern whizz bang unessary feature
would want to be on a list with a bunch of M6 users. 
The M6 a famously classic bare bones exquisite picture taking tool. (hand
held!
Wow! small film!) 
Smells like a troll if you ask me!
Mark W. Rabiner

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Robert Appleby
V. Bellentani 36
41100 MO
Italy
tel. (+39) 059 303436
mob. (+39) 0348 336 7990

Replies: Reply from Axel Schwieker <axel@baer.rwth-aachen.de> (Re: [Leica] My Leica 'tis of thee)
Reply from bfranson@greennet.net (Bill Franson) (Re: [Leica] My Leica 'tis of thee)
Reply from Javier Perez <summarex@yahoo.com> (Re: [Leica] My Leica 'tis of thee)
Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] My Leica 'tis of thee)