Fall colours

[ted grant <75501.3002@compuserve.com>]

Ian Stanley wrote:

<<<<Given the number of messages that have been coming in from the group
lately some of you should be spending less time on the computer and more
time out with your cameras.>>>

Ian my friend, truer words were never spoken! :)

It seems we have just gone through one of those tangents we get off on
occasionally that nearly becomes a reason for Mars to invade earth! :)

However it usually subsides and we get back to rock and rolling Leica
stuff.  Maybe we could look at it on the positive side as "spice is the
life of Leica LUGNUTS! No matter how wild at times.:)

Your end of the world sounds wonderful as usual and after the end of
October I may be making some major battle plans in my life regarding
career, but I've said that since '84 and nobody believes me that I'm going
to hang-up my cameras.  Most consider it the ramblings of an old fart, as I
have said often that when I go to the big darkroom in the sky I want to go
during an assignment and cameras in hand.

Having had that quick trip to Malaysia and an offer from them to return as
a consultant for next year's Commonwealth Games in KL for three months, I
may yet have an opportunity to take you up on your kind offer to visit the
valleys.

<<<I guess there is no perfect camera for every occasion is there?>>>

Well those who are  "true believers " think the Leica is the be all to end
all! :)  But my idea is to have a bionic camera built right in behind my
one good eye with a little computer plug into the side of my skull so I
down load the images I see! Without doing anything more than blinking my
eye and an exposure is made. Remember the $6,000,000 man on TV? :)

<<<<but as my eyes age the thought of an accurate auto focus is appealing. 
After all when I went deaf I started using hearing aids (how are yours
working Ted?)>>>>>>>

The logic of weakening aged eyes and using auto focus must become a reality
in the minds of older Leica shooters, regardless of how much we love our
Leica, it just becomes a fact of life. If one wishes to continue with the
fun of photography, there isn't any point to daily struggle attempting to
manual focus and then still be disappointed at the slightly unsharp image
results on the light table.

However who knows what the Solms folks have in the mill for the over the
hill gang! :) But I wouldn't hesitate, that if I could not shoot without a
major struggle of trying to focus, I would switch to Canon and auto focus. 
And Canon because I like their glass and the fact manual focus is in the
same direction as Leica.  Heresy I realize, but logical!

The bionic ears are fine, however nothing can match the the really good old
fashioned home made God ones! :)

I received a "Rapidwinder" for the M6 made by Tom Abramsson of Vancouver
for the M6 yesterday. Quite frankly it's the answer to a virgins prayers
for left eyed M6 shooters or other M models. I took to it like a fish to
water and it is as natural to use without any thought in handling the
camera. I've ordered a couple more for the other M6's.

A marvelous machine and makes the battery driven Leica version look and
sound like a meccano toy for the innards of a Mickey Mouse doll!

For those who work with their left eye and enjoy using their M cameras, I
can't recommend this film advancing attachment high enough.  Your camera
never has to leave your eye and for fast moving situations or those quiet
moments where you must constantly watch your subject through the viewfinder
for an hour at a time, then a flurry of action, I can assure you, you are
not going to miss much of the action as you can advance and shoot at about
three frames a second and the camera stays at your eye!!!.

An amazing machine and I can only say I wish I had them over the past
twenty years or so. Now I'm never going to be without them! They are quiet,
quick and simple to change and reattach just as quick as the normal base
plate.

Keep some of those valleys free for me also. Thanks.

regards,

ted