Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/23

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Third Quarter Viewfinder
From: John Collier <jbcollier@powersurfr.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 07:24:48 -0600

Hi Nathan,

You are right to be cautious. I opened mine and one article was badly
contaminated and the issue was only saved by Tom and Henning's wonderful
article on 21mm lenses. Unfortunately Roy Moss's article on M4 cameras was
about the worst thing I have ever seen in a Leica magazine. I do not mind
people having personal favourites but to viciously slam other cameras is
annoying and immature. Initial teething problems in the M4 are glossed over*
while the M4-2 is raked over the coals for its initial production bugs.
H***, initial M4-2 production involved moving all the M manufacturing
equipment thousands of miles and training new staff. He then praises
(faintly) the M4-P! The M4-P is an identical camera off the same production
line as the M4-2. The only real difference is the frameline mask set. There
is a selective quote from Norm Goldberg slamming the M4-2 while I have an
article from 1980 where he says it is a great camera but the early ones need
to be adjusted properly.

Once again the KS15-4/M2-R is given the credit as the camera for which rapid
loading was developed. Looking at production allocation dates and
prototypes, it is obvious that rapid loading was being developed for the M4
and used in the KS15-4 not the other way around.

Sorry about the rant but Leica "purists" who think it cannot be a Leica
unless it is made in Wetzlar drive me nuts. Now where the h*** did my
therapist's number get to...

John Collier

* Why there would be any at all is amazing as the camera is not that much
different from a M3 and the same production crew was used.

> From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch>
> 
> Mark Rabiner wrote:
> 
>> I got mine.
>> The new "Viewfinder" was waiting for me when i got back from San Antonio last
>> weekend with the Leica M4 on red box on the cover.
>> A week later than everyone else cause i drove.
> 
> It is a great magazine and itself sufficient reason to join the LHSA. I got
> mine
> yesterday, but given the news I am watching re the seemingly more and more
> widespread
> anthrax threat I am not opening the envelope nor any other mail from the
> U.S.:-(
> 

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

Replies: Reply from Henning Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com> (Re: [Leica] Third Quarter Viewfinder)
Reply from "Roland Smith" <roland@dnai.com> (Re: [Leica] Third Quarter Viewfinder)