Re: M5

[Paul Schliesser <paulsc@eos.net>]

><<Only wimps hang their M5s normally.>>>>>
>
>OK Paul this is from the "Lead wimp" :)

>Only wimps hang their M5s normally.


Several people wrote me about the "wimp" comment. I was tired and trying 
to be funny.

I think it was a strange idea to hang the camera sideways; it just 
doesn't seem very practical. You need to make an awkward arm movement to 
bring it up to your eye. I never thought about how multiple M5 bodies 
would hang and bang together. As Ted describes it, they batter themselves 
against each other. As Curt points out, you also loose the ability to use 
the strap to steady the body.

The comment was actually directed at Leica's design descision. What I 
meant was that you must be a wimp to want to avoid the awkwardness of 
carrying the camera this way. It was not my intention to insult any M5 
users.



>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. 


Great story, Ted.

Now that I think of it, this is the second story I've heard about you 
banging (or threatening to bang) your Leicas around in front of Leica 
officials. As big and heavy as the R8 is, it's a good thing you are happy 
with it :)

- - Paul