Re: [Leica] Identifying Leica Lenses

[CapsTeeth@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/5/00 11:53:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
bobwalkden@hotmail.com writes:

<< Shel,
 
 I saw another useful-looking book today which might interest you. It's 
 called the "Leica M Compendium", can't remember the author's name. Again, I 
 only flipped through it briefly, but it has interested me enough to go back 
 and take another look when I have some time.
 
 Cheers,
 
 Bob >>

The M Compendium is an intended how-to-users book marred by the ignorant, 
ridiculous contention that one can effect a narrower metering angle in the M6 
simply by using the frame preselector lever to bring up the frameline of a 
longer lens.  For me that so undermined the author's credibility that it 
spoils the rest of an admittedly decent book for me. ln its defense, there 
are some useful tables in the back, particularly DOF tables for various focal 
lengths, distances and apertures.

Brian Bower's Leica M Photography is a more accurate stab at it, very 
entertaining, beautifully illustrated (even if I quarrel with some of the 
author's exposures and would have myself used graduated neutral-density 
filters for several of the shots).  It's a favorite of mine and I've always 
hoped to meet the author at some point.  Too bad he's not a LUG member.

The Identifying Leica Lenses book by the (I was told...don't quote me on 
this) late Mr. Sartorious is a collector reference guide.  I like it, it's 
easier to carry around than the Laney or Lager books and seems to be complete 
and accurate at least up to the date of publication.