Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Useful camera features?
From: Tina Manley <images@InfoAve.Net>
Date: Thu, 02 Apr 1998 09:13:48 -0500

At 08:26 AM 4/2/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Maybe a LUGnut can answer a philosophical question for me:
>
>Why is a mechanical, non-motorized camera with a dumb spot meter 
>like the Leica M6 considered by many to be the pinnacle of rangefinder 
>design, yet to be competetive a 35mm SLR must have multiple metering 
>and program modes, motorized film advance and rewind, auto-bracketing, 
>sophisticated flash functions and (in many opinions) several auto 
>focus modes?
>
>One would think that an effective "street" camera would need as
>many automatic functions as possible for maximum responsiveness
>yet what I'm reading here is that the simplicity of the M6 is
>what makes it so responsive.
>
>I'm a "bugs & critters" photographer so the rangefinder is not the 
>best tool for me, yet, like the M6, the mechanical, non-motorized 
>Leicaflex SL with a dumb spot meter is the most responsive, and 
>ultimately most useful SLR for me.  There are hardly any features, 
>switches or modes to set wrong, and it relies on the most sophisticated 
>fuzzy-logic computer known, the human brain.
>
>Would RF users be as satisfied with an electronic M-camera, or has
>standard SLR design become too cluttered with superfluous features?
>Your opinions, please.
>
>-Doug Herr
> 

Doug - 

I need a camera that is small, unobtrusive, quiet and built like a tank.
The more electronic stuff you add the less it is each of those.  Love my
M6!!  Best - Tina


______________________________________________________________________

Tina Manley, ASMP
<http://www.photogs.com/manley/index.html>
<http://www.aperture-photo.com/site/reportage/manley/manleyframeset.html>
<http://www.onlineartistleague.com/manleyt/portfoli.htm>