Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]"Timothy J. Kamke" wrote: > > I have been reading the LUG for about two months and enjoy it. Three > questions; Have any of you felt remorse over spending this kind of cash on a > Leica outfit (I'm looking at $3000 U.S.), and if so, why? Oh yes, especially the first couple of times around. That it costs so much, and isn't the most versatile camera around is real vexing at first: Like a 2-seat automobile with little cargo capacity, it's pretty uncompromising, particularly if it's your only car (but do you really move furniture about that often?) Eventually, you may reach a point where you aren't real concerned if Nikon can make a camera that works better for less money: You simply like the way the M6 handles overall, and you find yourself photographing more and more, for the sheer love of it all. At that point, you've discovered the kind of value that can't be measured on any lens resolution chart. > Just wanting to; 1) refresh my photography with a more thoughtful > system (meaning that I will be more thoughtful when making photos as opposed > to pointing and shooting with an F5), 2) have a camera with me at ALL TIMES, > and 3) enjoy the experience of using the Leica for what it is, and isn't. Will my proposed > set-up meet my 3 needs outlined above? 1) Not in itself: There is nothing inherent in the F5 which prevents you from photographing thoughtfully. In fact, I very much enjoy photographing in programmed-mode auto, and simply twirling a dial to fine-tune the exposure as I see fit, and I find a quiet, fast motor drive allows me to concentrate on variations upon a theme without jiggling the camera about. Want to refresh your photography? Take your least-used lens, go someplace that seems ill-suited to it, and don't quit until you get it to work. For instance, use a tele to photograph a grand vista that seems to beg for an ultrawide. 2) Yes, very much possible, and a real delight to find a smallish camera with big-camera performance and a selection of modern lens designs. 3) Err, whatever *that* means. Jeff