Back in with the M6

[FIGLIO4CAP@aol.com]

After being out of Leica photography for 20 years, I jumped back in with an
M6, 35,1.4 and 50,2 lenses. I had read the Pop Photog review and was somewhat
concerned. My previous Leicas were the M4and 5 plus a full Leicaflex system.
During the interim, thinking that photography was not going to be that
important I accumulated a bunch of Pentax stuff - their best. Their lenses
seem to be of very high resolution, but they lack visual excitement(rather
harsh light to dark transition and a cold overall impression). Thus over the
years I took fewer and fewer pictures. 

Now the excitement is back! First, the M6 is truly a thing of beauty and
second, and more importantly, even simple shots have an appeal that I have
been missing.
It's sort of funny, in a way. If you make A/B comparisons between Pentax and
Leica photos you can easily see differences, but they do not seem to be that
important. But if you let the images lie on the table and come back later,
the overall impression is quite different- more depth and interest in the
Leica photos and finally, one can not go back to the other system. I remember
running Kodachrome II through Leicaflex, Olympus and Nikon systems years ago
and then taking the results into Photo-Cine in Phila. where George
Knechtsberger made his fortune. The differences,especially in the shadow
areas, were so great that he used my slides to sell Leica systems to the
doubters who did not believe there was a difference.

I'm simply delighted that the "old" look is still there is Leica's latest
versions.
BTW, I'm also a newcomer to this group and find your discussions quite above
the cut of the usual newsgroup, despite some recent comments to the contrary.
Best regards,
Bob Figlio