Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Ernst Hartmann on the Leicaflex SL
From: Alex Hurst <corkflor@iol.ie>
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 10:30:39 +0100

Patrick wrote:

>I took my Leicaflex SL over to K&S today to have the shutter tested by
>Mr. Ernst Hartmann,  the top service person at Leica USA.  There was a
>gentleman in line before me who had an R6, and Mr. Hartmann surprised me
>by being, well, effusive over the SL (and he does not strike me as a man
>who is often effusive).  He said that it was simply the best SLR Leica
>ever made.  The fellow who'd been in line before me asked whether that
>distinction didn't rightly belong to the SL2, and Mr. Hartmann disagreed
>-- he said that the SL2 had more features, but he preferred the
>construction of the SL.  He said it was "a German tank."  He said that
>he owns one, that he loves to use it, and his wife also uses it.

Well that gives me a warm feeling for choosing the SL as my entry point
into Leica SLR photography.

I agree it's a 'Panzer' of a camera, but a delight to use. I toted two of
them round the spectacular Cliffs of Moher in the west of Ireland last
weekend with a 21/4 and 90/2 attached. Certainly beat working out with
weights in a gym! But then I have had plenty of practice carrying around
two Nikon Fs, which surprisingly are smaller than the SL, but seem to weigh
about the same.

Interesting that Mr Hartmann preferred the 'construction' of the SL. I
thought the SL and SL2 were very much the same mechanically. I wonder what
the differences were.

Can anyone out there shed any light on this?

Slan

Alex





Alex Hurst
Cork Florists
19 Winthrop St, Cork
Republic of Ireland
Tel: +353 21 270 907
Fax: +353 21 271 248
email: corkflor@iol.ie
Website: http://www.flowerlink.com/corkflorists
Home website: http://homepages.iol.ie/~corkflor/