Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/19

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Subject: [Leica] beater cameras
From: flagstad at mindspring.com (Howard Sanner)
Date: Thu Aug 19 11:20:52 2004

Don Dory says:

>Truly, the old LTM's are very tough cameras and everyday use just does
>not hurt them.  Like an old hound, they will stay with you longer if you
>take them with you.
>
    This is sooo true! Nowadays people seem to lose sight of the fact 
that the screwmount Leicas were the front-rank professionals' tools of 
their day. Despite their jewel-like mechanical feel, they had to be 
built like the proverbial brick porta potty, and they were. Until 
everything coming into the building had to be X-rayed (post 9/11 
hysteria), I carried my 1936 IIIa in my lunch bag every day, and just 
about everywhere else I went. It's still going strong, on its original 
shutter curtains, no less; and if I had an assignment where the pictures 
absolutely HAD to "come out," it's the camera I'd use, not the M6 I have 
that is around half a century newer. One look at this IIIa and you'd 
know that it was heavily used before I got it, too.

                                Howard Sanner
                                flagstad@mindspring.com