Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/03/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]B.D., I cringe to think what you would say about a camera you did not like! Don R. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 9:48 AM Subject: RE: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5 > Wait, Don! My assessment is 180 degrees from yours. You don't agree with > me; you completely disagree.:-) I said I thought that the problem with > the M5 was the reactionary Leica fanboys who couldn't deal with the > heretical ideas of a slightly - and it is very slightly - larger M, the > longest rangefinder base, and therefore most accurate focusing of any M > ever produced, and a built in, highly accurate, spot meter. > > I think the M5 was and is the only really innovative M camera. But hey, > these are the kind of differences of opinion that make for horse races - > and Leica's ultimate demise. ;-) > > B. D. > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Don R. > Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 10:08 AM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: Re: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5 > > > Here's my opinion of the M-5 after owning one for about two years. > Compared to the earlier M-series, the M-5 was an oversize, clumsy effort > to field a Leica with a built-in lightmeter. The silly moveable > lightmeter arm that smacked the back of the two wide angle lenses was > always a nuisance. After years of living with the M-3's and M-4's, the > M-5 was like getting out of an elegant 911 Porsche and into a Volkswagen > "BEAST." > > Therefore, I am in 100% agreement with B.D.'s assessment of the M-5. If > the "THING" had not been such a clumsy design, and had been as well > received as the earlier M series, it would still be marketed. There > were just not enough Leica fans that wanted a massive 35mm camera that > hung from one end like a Kodak. > > Don R. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Leo Hufener" <ljhuf@tiscali.nl> > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 5:38 AM > Subject: Re: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5 > > > > Please look in your ,mirror to see un ugly pig and stop that > > irrational snobby nonsense about the perfect M5. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Martin Howard" <mvhoward@mac.com> > > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > > Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 2:56 AM > > Subject: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5 > > > > > > > B.D. Colen wrote: > > > > > > > What Leitz was unhappy with was the reactionary > > > > Leica buyers who didn't know what to make of the M5. Yes, it's > > > > bigger than the M4 was - but not by very much. The real curse of > > > > the M5 was that it had an internal meter - a very good one as a > > > > matter of fact - and the all mechanical Leica aficionados just > > > > weren't ready for the built-in meter at that point, nor were they > > > > ready for a "bigger" camera. > > > > > > You're missing the point, just as Leica did at the time. Leica > > > rangefinders are not rational choices. They are emotional choices. > > > The Leica M5 was, is, and always will be, an ugly pig, an aethetical > > > > abomination. This is even more apparent because of the exquisite > > > beauty of the lines of the old LTM cameras and their updated cousins > > > > in the M2, M3, and M4. I don't care how damn good the M5 is as a > > > camera, how great the meter is, or how insignificant the size > > > increase is. The fact remains: it's fugging uckly. > > > > > > It's as though Porsche had decided to build a five-door estate > > > version of the 911. > > > > > > These days, of course, Leica has got the point almost too well: they > > > > no longer make cameras, only fashion accessories. Take a look at > > > Stephen Gandy's site at the list of "special edition" M6s. QED. > > > > > > (Then, of course, we have the Cayenne. Let's not mention that any > > > more.) > > > > > > M. > > > > > > -- > > > To unsubscribe, see > > > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > > > > > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, see > > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html