Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On 7/3/02 6:44 AM, "Rei Shinozuka" <shino@panix.com> wrote: >> reasons I pay for Leicas >> >> * they are tiny compared to modern SLRs >> * the lenses are tiny compared to modern SLR lenses >> * the glass is wonderful >> * they are practically indestructible in everyday use and almost totally >> weatherproof >> * the lenses are far more solid than most autofocus SLR lenses >> * the viewfinder is unique and allows you to selectively compose without >> moving your eye >> * very quiet >> * don't draw much attention from non-pros > > very good! and while we're in an enumerative mood: > > for me, a large part of the m6's charm is its distillation of size and > features to minimalism. case in point, the m6 (classic) and lens has exactly > 11 controls: 1) shutter speed dial 2) shutter release 3) aperture ring 4) > focusing ring 5) film advance lever 6) rewind knob 7) rewind lever 8) lens > release button 9) viewfinder frame selector 10) ISO meter setting and > 11) bottom removal key. of these 11 controls, only the first 4 affect the > qualities of a specific image. I disagreed with this until I thought about it. It is not really a fair comparison, but with my Leica my picture taking process goes... - -- pick up camera - -- meter - -- set aperture and shutter speed (adjusting for backlight etc without even thinking about it) - -- focus - -- click Whereas with my Nikon 5000 the process goes - -- pick up camera - -- turn on camera and wait for it to boot up - -- check battery and replace if necessary - -- check available storage - -- figure out what mode I left it in, change to correct mode - -- check what sensitivity it's at and change if necessary - -- preview on LCD - -- dial in exposure compensation if necessary - -- take picture (compensating for lag) - -- wait for picture to write to card Clearly this is more akin to a MF or LF workflow. With a D100 or even my old T90 the process would be more like - -- pick up camera - -- shoot so in this case the argument doesn't hold (for me). Moreover I don't particularly find the multitude of controls on modern multimode cameras confusing, although the ergonomics are often inconvenient. sorry for ambivalence of this post... no conclusion is also a conclusion - -- JB - -- - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html