[Leica] Re: Re: waterproof bag /M6

["saadi lahlou" <saadi.lahlou@wanadoo.fr>]

Hm.
John advises me to buy a used Nikonos. I think it is indeed the best
solution. Alas
here in Paris this is not the season for used Nikonos anymore, apparently
they all went to sea for their annual migration. I should have caught one
earlier. Sight!
Rei mentions the existence of Ewamarine U-F bags. That was also my first
thought, but a diving equipment dealer told me they were not worth the
money, and Henning rather suggests a cheap SLR w/ such a bag. I suspect this
is why
Rei has been considering the buy for 15 years but never did it... Wise.

OK. So I just bought a small "Aquapac" bag (http://www.aquapac.net) (the
small
one for cameras : 60 euros at the sailing equipment shop of "Le Vieux
Campeur" ), and it will just fit in my Ricoh GR-1. I tried and it seems to
work OK, mechanically at least. Should be fine for shallow underwater work.
Thank you for putting me on the way. I'll let you all know what I catch with
this outfit when I am back.

Still I remain frustrated : all this boils down to : don't use your M6 too
near
the sea. Also, the GR-1 lens (28) is not good for shooting people. It may be
a great lens, but it distorts faces.
I WILL also take my M and a couple of lenses with me anyway, and I will take
them
to boats and beaches. I know I will not resist using them, even in these
slightly risky conditions. So, what should I do then ?

I have decided to put more tape on it against sand (black and *red* gaffer /
oops, I know
this is flame bait here) but I guess this is not enough. I remember blocking
2 cameras with sand in the Natal dunes, even though they never fell into
sand ; just the particles carried by the wind did it, and the cameras had to
go for a CLA. I don't want he same to happen to my M.

I made some
trials today with those self-sealing plastic bags for freezing food
("Albal").
Empirica : it is possible to wind the M, and also to ajust focus, speed and
stops, but the plastic is not clear enough to focus accurately, and I guess
it would not produce anything but very bad quality and blurred images, not
to speak about the fact that I have to hold the plastic quite firm in front
of the lens so that it does not fold.
As you can see, this is inappropriate. Any of you has a better idea to
avoid the shame of a lugger hanging around on greek beaches with a taped M
in a freezer plastic bag ?

Or should I not worry and just not protect the body (I remember being
impressed long ago by a picture of  Stan Wayman standing in Fisheating Creek
with water
up his waist and a Leica M hanging from his neck - naked, I realize now). ?

But it was not *salted* water :-(

Thanks for your advice and sharing experience.

(BTW it is the M that was naked, not the photographer. The book was edited
by Time-Life in the seventies).

saadi

Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 11:03:37 -0700
From: Henning Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com>
Subject: Re: [Leica] waterproof bag/case for M6: any advice ?
Message-ID: <p05100310b77f735df31b@[209.53.33.7]>
References: <200107211637.MAA08225@tigercat.pwj.com>

At 12:37 PM -0400 7/21/01, shino@ubspainewebber.com wrote:
>ewamarine make underwater bags which may prove usable (www.ewamarine.com).
>they are special because the U-F series has a glove which permits on hand
>to manipulate focusing or other camera controls.  good to 10m/30ft.
>
>i've never owned, user or seen one, but i've sporadically considered
>buying one
>for 15 years or so.
>
>-rei
>
>
>>  From: John Collier <jbcollier@powersurfr.com>
>>
>>  Buy a used Nikonos, I have a IVa and it works great. Scale focusing is
not
>>  that hard and the lenses are great underwater. If you try to use your M
>>  system inevitably you will get salt water on it and maybe in it. There
was
>>  an underwater housing made for the M camera in the fifties and early
sixties
>>  but you could not look through the viewfinder and I would not trust an
old
>>  housing to be water tight.
>>
>>  John Collier
>>
>>  > From: "saadi lahlou" <saadi.lahlou@wanadoo.fr>
>>  >
>>  > Any advice ?
>>

I've used the Ewamarine bags for my sporadic underwater stuff.
They're quite good, but I don't think they work at all for Leica M's.
You can't see through the viewfinder what you are getting, and
winding on can be a pain. If you don't want to get a Nikonos, a cheap
SLR with motor wind and a 28mm lens in Ewa marine is the next best
thing.

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    *            Henning J. Wulff
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