Re: Camera choice

[Paul Schliesser <paulsc@eos.net>]

>I've been thinking about a Contax S2 or Nikon F3 or FM2N.  But back in the
>recesses of my mind, I have fond memories of an old M4 that I used to use
>back in the early 1970's when I was a newspaper reporter at a small daily
>paper.  The paper had a shelf full of Nikons and M4's, and unless I thought I
>was going to need the in-camera metering or a long lens, I usually drifted to
>one of the Leicas when I was doing my own photography.  My 35S was my poor
>man's Leica substitute when I bought it.

Bill,

If you liked the M4, you should at least try out an M6. I think that you 
would be very pleased. I've found the internal meter to work very well. 
I've been using Ms with the external meters or with an incident meter for 
a long time, and I was amazed at how much quicker and easier to use the 
internal meter is. It also sounds like the sort of photos you want to 
take are a good match for the M6's strengths. 

I also use a couple of Contax SLR camras, including the S2. The S2 is a 
very nice, solid and compact camera, which I often use if I don't need 
some bell or whistle on my RTS III--I usually prefer to use a simpler, 
less automatic camera.  It's interesting to compare the finder displays 
of the M6 and S2. On the S2 there is a list of shutter speeds on the 
right side of the finder. A red diode lights the speed the meter 
recommends. The speed the camera is actually set to flashes, and to set 
the recommended speed you adjust shutter speed and aperature until the 
flashing and non-flashing speeds coincide. The M6 has two arrows, and you 
turn the aperature ring or shutter dial in the direction that the 
brightest one points, until they are both lit evenly. It's very easy to 
see small differences in brightness between them down to about 1/4 stop.

The S2 has a small, clearly indicated meter spot. There is also an S2b 
model which has an averaging meter. (The S2b has a very attractive, dark 
metallic finish, while the normal S2 has a titanium finish. I have found 
that some camera store people don't realize that the meters are different 
and think that the cameras are "black or chrome" versions of the same 
body.)

The M6 meters a circle that is about 2/3 the height of the frame, so you 
need to esitmate where it is by looking at the frameline in use.

I find the M6 (just because of the way the meter display works) slightly 
faster and easier to use than the S2, although I sometimes need to take 
the camera away from my eye to double-check the speed that is set. If I 
think about it, I check beforehand and count stops up or down as I adjust.

For things like travel, I would lean towards the M6. It would be less 
bulk to carry than any SLR system unless you only use an SLR with a zoom 
lens. I normally use an M camera for travel for this reason. There are a 
lot of tiny little bags made for point and shoot cameras which can hold 
an M6 plus a couple of lenses, and which are both compact and 
inconspicuous. I carried a little Tamrac bag for a long time; I could put 
the camera with a 35mm lens sideways in one compartment, and two lenses 
back-to-back in the other, and still had room for a few rolls of film and 
a table-top tripod. One neat gadget for small bags is a special 
back-to-back rear lens cap that Leica makes. This lets you pack lenses in 
weird configurations without worrying about them banging around or 
shifting.

You can also take the M6 without a bag and carry one or two lenses in 
your pockets; this is very nice if you are on vacation and walking all 
day. I challenge you to find may SLR lenses small enough for this.

Also, I think that a black M6 looks like a point-and-shoot camera to most 
people, since rangefinder cameras are no longer common, while almost any 
SLR would be a more tempting target for a thief. Unless, of course, the 
thief knew what it was.

For family pictures and such, the M6 will call less attention to itself 
than an SLR because of it's small size and quietness. You didn't mention 
flash at all, but since you are looking at manual cameras, the M6 and the 
S2 are equally lacking in automated flash features. Either camera would 
work well with a flash unit with its own sensor or manual flash for 
indoor family snapshots. I don't know what the Nikons offer in this area; 
I'd assume that the F3 has some TTL flash features, but since you didn't 
mention them, I assume that they are not a priority for you.


- - Paul