Re: [Leica] Coming In From the Cold

["Dan Post" <dwpost@email.msn.com>]

Bill,
That freeze you got two days ago is the result of, and I have this on the
highest controlling authority ( Al Gore and Dan Rather), El Nino and Global
Warming. I'm still trying to explain this to my friends from Guadalajara-
they got zapped with snow last week!
Cheers  :)
Dan'l
- -----Original Message-----
From: Bill Larsen <ohlen@lightspeed.net>
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Cc: msmall@roanoke.infi.net <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Wednesday, December 24, 1997 5:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Coming In From the Cold

>At 03:19 PM 12/24/97 -0500, Marc Small writes:
>
>>The point?  You don't really need to 'winterize' a Leica:  the design was
>>made to accomodate the worst that a Russian winter could toss at it, and,
>>pace Garrison Keilor, even Minnesota looks mild by comparison.
>>
>>I DO have it on good authority that Robert Byrd, Amundsen, Admiral Byrd,
>>and Santa Claus never 'winterized' THEIR Leicas, so why should you?
>
>My understanding from one of my instructors at the Defense Information
>School (1966) is that the M Lecias were winterized for extreme cold by
>removing all of the lubricants possible (same as winterizing guns for
>extreme cold).  The particular instructor, CPO Shakleford, had spent
>several tours in Antartica and used a Leica exclusively.  The vogue
>professional camera at the time, the Nikon F, tended to freeze the mirror
>action in extreme cold and were apparently not much used.
>
>The Leicas would be serviced after the extreme Antarctic winter was over
>because there were consequences to using no lubricant.
>
>Of course, I could be passing on an "old wives tale."  BTW, I thought Santa
>used a Rollei (gasp) (grin).
>
>Happy Holidays to all,
>
>Bill Larsen from the southern San Joaquin Valley of California where we got
>our first freeze two days ago.
>