Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/14
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phong wrote:
> From: Buzz Hausner <Buzz@marianmanor.org>
> > No bag. I carry an M6, f2/35 (spherical or aspheric), a 90
> Tele-Elmarit,
> > and three or four rolls of film in the pockets of a suit jacket or
> sports
> > coat. Best reason to own Leica? Small light, discreet, great
> lenses.
I keep hearing the argument that the M is light and I can't help
disagreeing. I think it's pretty heavy, actually. No, not as heavy as a
quality SLR. But just as the idea doesn't occur to me to put my SLRs
into my suit pockets, I am terrified at the idea of having to put an
M-Leica in my suit. Not only will I look like a bum, it will soon deform
my very nice suit jackets. A 100gr cell phone, ID and some money with
business cards is as far as it goes with costly suit jackets.
I believe that if you want to compare the M for weight, you shouldn't
compare it to the traditional SLR, but to a modern point and shoot.
Because that's what the M competes with: with the cameras that excel in
portability, and which are used for grab and run shots ("unobtrusive,
small, quiet".... you know the jingle). And in all that, the M loses to
other point and shoots. What it really wins in is reliability and
fabulous optics. Let's just quit kidding ourselves about the lightweight
qualities, because these are the late-90s and the Leica is no longer
light, and nor is it all that small.
Bernard.