Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/06/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net> wrote among other things: >Interestingly, dependability issues come up mostly with expensive >cameras. I remember reading about Chris Jons who works with NGS a >lot saying he typically takes on a job to remote areas 6 Nikon f4s >and 6 N90s. And has them airlifted to him...how remote and untouched can it then really be? ;-). Interestingly - and relating to your previous post, Donal - SS puts a couple of Leicas and a couple of lenses in his bag and takes a local bus. Which in part enables him to be "like the locals" and get close. But to the main issue. Complex equipment obviously allows more ways for things to go wrong. No matter what the sales reps. tout I'm convinced that top quality mechanical equipment is more reliable than electronic and this tends to show at extreme conditions. The bottom line is that when you get your equipment tested before a trip/assignment an experienced mechanic can tell if a mechanical camera shows wear or corrosion damage inside that might prove to be fatal later on. Electronic ones go abruptly. Without seeing any advance signs of trouble in the microcircuits one of them can develop a tiny crack in the circuit coating/connections and consequently the whole shutter dies. Humidity is perhaps the worst enemy. Moreover I doubt that the electronic circuits are as resistant to extreme temperature variations. Just too many materials with varying temperature characteristics mixed up. All this of course compounds. You can send a N90 to the Arctic Circle once and chances are it does allright. This is how the advertisers tend to find "the proof". But what happens on its fifth trip? Mechanical SLR's can be extraordinarily reliable. Nikon F, F2, Canon F-1's, and some others all have long and impeccable record. On tired moments on the road I sometimes scold myself for carrying more than one of these heavy beasts. For reliability reasons I wouldn't need to. But if I have one stolen or want to shoot color as well there better be at least two. Regards, Kari Eloranta Photographers are the most loathsome inconvenience. They're malicious. They're the pits. Paul Newman