Re: Re: [Leica] Best Used M

[Woodwrkng <Woodwrkng@aol.com>]

In a message dated 12/24/97 1:47:05 PM, you wrote:

>Well now we are talking about something I know about.  Since I took a
>couple thousand slides with my folding 35mm Retina's while wintering
>over a couple years in Antarctica 40 years ago.  
>
>The Navy winterized all their cameras.  As I remember they removed most
>of the oil but what the heck, at about a $1E6 cost per man/year for the
>International Geophysical Year the cameras could be thrown away after
>their duty on the ice.
>
>But my small IIIc or my IIIC were kept under my parka.  All warm and
>cozy, including the film, until I wanted to take a photo.  Then out they
>came, even at -60F or down in a crevasse or out on the sea ice or up on
>the ice shelves with the penguins and seals, to take a photo or two then
>back under the parka. 
>
>I do not remember any troubles with fogging camera lens.  My sunglasses
>would fog coming inside from the cold into the warm heated buried
>buildings but I do not think the cameras ever did.  However I may of
>never tried to take a photograph immediately after going from one
>temperature extreme to another.  But, except for under my parka of
>course, things were very very dry in Antarctica.  
>
>But I did get in a hurry one night.  I will never forget it.  Middle of
>the very dark winter, except for the gazillion bright stars and this
>night was something special.  No sun for four months and aurora mostly
>every night, usually 5577 Angstrom greenish yellow gauzy lights but the
>night I remember the best the sky was aflame with bright red 9300
>Angstrom nitrogen moving rays and other distinct curtain like forms. 
>But it was really really cold and my hands were freezing so I did not
>tarry with my photo taking.  
>
>Nothing compared with what people can do now, and I was not using a
>Leica(just trying to be funny) but the photos still look OK 40 years
>later after many showings to school kids and family and at old folks
>homes.      Dale
>-- 
>$  dale-reed@worldnet.att.net   Seattle, Washington U.S.A.  $

Sooo tell me Dale ..  have you a web site where one can view these shots? I am
quite intrigued by the Aroura.. was one of the first searches I did several
years back when I first descided to buy a Computer. Met a lass in Michigan
soon afterwards and have been out to see her a couple times (Traverse City)
and saw them in person there for the first time.. breathtaking ..  actually
everything in MI was kinda breathtaking..  the lakes the green... the people
who actually all spoke a language I could understand.. if it werent for the
snow, Id have moved there already. PS thanks for the reponse to Best used M


Gary