Re: [Leica] Re: My plea for wisdom.. thanks all

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

Martin Howard admonished:
>>> I think, on the whole, people spend too much time worrying about their
> equipment, and too little time using it. <<<

Gee Martin I think you've said it all right there! ;-)

Dang I was just about to post something similar when yours arrived. :-) Now
I'll get on with it. ;-)

What I can't understand is how some of you folks appear to have more M
problems than there are fish in the sea, amazing. As I can't imagine what
you must do to make them malfunction. Probably carress them instead of
banging the heck out of them cause they're like a damn fine woman, you've
got to use them, not abuse them and they'll serve you well for eons! ;-)

Ok ok ladies of the LUG :-) I beg of you, please be kind in your retorts as
I'm a senior citizen and it's a criminal offence to beat us. ;-) Besides I
don't wear hurt well! ;-) Thank you, be gentle. ;-)

When someone like myself a working professional, who from 1967 worked 3 M4's
in many locations about the world on assignments from the North Pole to
South America and about as far east and west one can go around the globe
without one whit of problem, break down, crank shafts bending and they just
kept going!. And used one by the neck strap to fend off a drunk in a
maddened rage. Much to his sorrow when he was on the ground wondering what
the hell hit him.

I don't recommend this for camera use at any time, but the M's have a way
about them when swung on the neck strap to quiet anyone about to punch you
out, as it only takes one very well connected M4 base plate to the side of
the head to quiet a fool very quickly.

Then while he's holding his head wondering what the hell hit him, you use
the camera to make several exposures before making the camera ready for
another smack in the event the stupid SOB doesn't realize you're going to
hit him again if he comes at you
a second time. Now I must say I was concerned about the camera because even
though I'd dropped one or two and they still worked. I had however, given
this chap a royal good smack which I'm sure he was with pain for a few days.
;-) It worked perfectly. ;-)

Trust me it worked in two ways, the camera was fine and he never took a
second run at me. ;-)

I used them from '67 til January '85 when they were replaced with three M6's
that  worked hard til Jan.'03 when replaced with three M7's. Actually two of
M6's are still kicking around here as possible back ups, or when 4 or 5
cameras maybe required on a fast moving shoot. Although I must add it's
highly unlikely I'll be doing anymore "fast moving shoots" ;-)

The M7's since purchase have had several hundred rolls through them in less
than 5 months while shooting the Women in Medicine book. And they're the
best thing that happened for a working shooter allowing for greater
concentration to subject and camera handling without fiddling aperture rings
and speed dial.

Now I've said all this, where is it going?

Well I want to say after all this time of M4,6,7 use, that's since 1967,
I've never had one quit, bend a re-wind crank, never had them stop for any
reason even when soaking wet in the rain or snow, used at 40 below zero,
banged and bumped around in planes, boats, tanks, you name it. Even on horse
back shooting a cowboy book!

So tell me, what the heck do you guys and gals do to your equipment that I
don't do why you have so much trouble? Oh and one last thing, none of those
cameras were ever cleaned or serviced in any manner whatsoever. OK OK I
forgot about the inadvertant blast of cow sh*t a couple years ago, but I
cleaned all that off. :-)

And never a missed frame due to malfunction.  So tell me? What?
ted
Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant


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