Re: M5

[ted grant <75501.3002@CompuServe.COM>]

Paul wrote:

<<<Later, they decided that the camera didn't look strange enough yet, so they
added a third lug on the opposite end, so that you could hang it 
normally if you wanted to. The third lug is lower on the body than the 
top lug on the other end, so it ends up looking very asymmetrical.>>>>

<<Only wimps hang their M5s normally.>>>>>

OK Paul this is from the "Lead wimp" :)

Just kidding. But this is a story of personal experience while in Wetzlar of how
the M5 acquired three lugs, true story.

When the M5 came out I purchased 3 bodies and got the first three arriving in
Canada and the first thing I tried to do was hang the three of them staggered
one above the other around my neck, as I used my M4's while working. Obviously
three different lenses attached.

However with two lugs it meant that the cameras just hammered against each other
all the time and the one in the middle got the worst of the banging.

Not sure which Leica Wetzlar technical genius thought "two vertical" were better
than two horizontal, but a week after I received mine I had an assignment in
Germany and took the time to go to Wetzlar to enquire about making changes to a
"normal way of wimp carrying".  :)

At a meeting of technical staff, VIPs and other folks I gave them a
demonstration of just how stupid the two lugs were for working photographers.

I hung one camera first and explained how nice it seemed to hang, but that 99%
of the pictures are taken horizontally therefore it necessitated turning the
camera 99% of the the time.

Then came the "cardiac arrest moment"! :)  I hung the other two around my neck
and there I stood with three M5's hanging vertically and banging against each
other and it looked pretty stupid and impractical.

The real attention getter was when I held the two outside cameras at a 45 degree
angle and then let them go, both arriving at the middle camera with a resounding
crash and major gasps from all in sundry.

Then I said, " OK now can you understand the stupidity of this two lug
arrangement?"  "Can you please put another lug on the other side so I can save
beating my cameras to death?"

The cameras were gone immediately and very shortly I was standing in the
Presidents office with my M5's nicely and wimpingly hung horizontally! :)

And that was as far as I know, the incident that started the 3 lug version of
the M5's. 

from the chief wimp. :) Then I got rid of them and now use M6's as you know.

ted