[Leica] Re: Ergonomic shortfalls

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Lawrence Zeitlin offered:
Subject: [Leica] Re: Ergonomic shortfalls

>>2. Viewfinder location - Looking at the camera from the back, the
> left hand location of the viewfinder means that to use the right eye  the 
> camera has to be held unsupported on the right side of the face.  This 
> promotes camera shake. <<<

Like Larry old buddy you have used an M camera before haven't you? It's 
always been like that for right eyed shooters! Big deal and many great 
photographs have been taken & without any quivering shakes! So what's the 
problem?

>>Those fortunate enough to be left eyed can
> brace the camera against the face to achieve added support at the  cost of 
> getting nose oil over the backside Vulcanite.<<<

hey trust me there are absolutely no advantages to using your left eye! 
Because to shoot quickly as many photojournalists do, you'll automatically 
gouge your right eye out advancing film!!:- Trust me 50 plus years experince 
as a left one eyed photojournalist! :-(

>3. Off center tripod mount - a never ending frustration for tripod 
>users.<<<

Although I've on a few occasions used an M on tripod... like really it's a 
hand held machine from 1/8th to 1/1000th! Like is the off centre holed base 
plate that big a deal? After all the camera has about as much use in reality 
on a tripod, as tripod on a lake.

> 4. Rear flash contact - most civilized cameras have the flash contact  on 
> the front. Leica flash users risk jabbing an eye with a protruding  flash 
> plug.<<<

Flash???  Flash!!! ??? Aaaackkkk!!  My heavens man where have you been lo 
these long years? FLASH?, TWINKIE LIGHTS? On an M camera? Blasphemy my good 
man! :-) Heresy! You should be burned at the stake! ;-)

>>> 5. Tiny controls - The small knobs and dials are impossible to
> operate with gloves. As for mittens, fuggedaboudit.<<<

Oh bollix my good fellow, all your complaints are merely whining in the 
night!

Instead of whining and pointing out so called deficiencies in your mind most 
of us have totally ignored them for many years while in the throws of making 
them work just fine from the heat of the day, the darkness of night, to the 
frozen north pole! And done all that without a bloody whine! Mitts on and 
all!

We just got and get on with the job before us.... taking pictures.

Now for the M8? Hey when I have one in hand I'll proceed shooting in exactly 
the same manner as I've done for many many years. And probably smile!:-)

Larry sir, you on the other hand should not even consider an M8 or any other 
M camera, as obviously they have so many short comings they must give you a 
headache every time you put one to your eye, left or right! ;-)

ted









>
> On Sep 13, 2006, at 4:08 PM, Alan wrote:
>
>> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,
>>> 3. Do I want to put up with many of the ergonomic shortfalls inherent
>>>   in the Leica's 50 year old design?
>>
>>> Larry Z
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>> --------
>>
>> I'm not in line; have the cameras I want. I use older Leica M's (and a
>> IIIf) more for the bodies than the lenses; I find the ergonomics of M
>> Leicas very nice.  Never lusted after another camera once I got my M3.
>> (Well, maybe my '59 Rolleiflex).
>
> Ergonomic shortfalls:
>
> 1. Film loading - do I have to say more?
> 2. Viewfinder location - Looking at the camera from the back, the  left 
> hand location of the viewfinder means that to use the right eye  the 
> camera has to be held unsupported on the right side of the face.  This 
> promotes camera shake. This was acceptable with the M3 since  the .92 
> rangefinder permitted the photographer to keep the left eye  open. With 
> the lesser magnification of succeeding models this  advantage disappeared.


> 3. Off center tripod mount - a never ending frustration for tripod  users.
> 4. Rear flash contact - most civilized cameras have the flash contact  on 
> the front. Leica flash users risk jabbing an eye with a protruding  flash 
> plug.

> 5. Tiny controls - The small knobs and dials are impossible to  operate 
> with gloves. As for mittens, fuggedaboudit.
>
> From a ergonomic point of view, the CL was the best Leica made. Even 
> though the viewfinder was still on the side, the camera body is short 
> enough so that the overhang is tolerable. The tripod socket is center 
> mounted and the flash contact is in the hot shoe where God meant it  to 
> be. The back removes for easy film loading. This has the added  advantage 
> that the camera does not have to be partly disassembled to  remove a film 
> chip. There are some ergonomic problems with the CL of  course. The meter 
> turns on only when the winding lever is extended.  For a left eyed 
> photographer this puts the extended winding lever  directly into his right 
> eyeball. Even Leica recognized this problem  after the camera was released 
> and would fix the camera at no charge  so the meter was always on. The 
> downside was a shorter battery life.
>
> None of these ergonomic deficiencies matters a whit to photographic 
> quality but they do make the camera harder to use. The biggest  ergonomic 
> problem, the needle threading film loading procedure is a  moot point with 
> the M8 but most of the other problems will still be  there. Most of the 
> design compromises on the older camera were  mandated by the internal 
> arrangement of the mechanical components,  mandates which are no longer 
> necessary in this electronic age. Leica  could have taken the opportunity 
> to refresh the 50 year old design of  the M series - but then it wouldn't 
> be a Leica, would it.
>
> Larry Z
>
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