[Leica] Meterless M6s, M7s, etc.

[Bill Bain <BBain@IMNET.com>]

1.  Peter, anytime you want to give up your meter for good, I'll be
happy to trade you my M3DS for your M6! :-)  Otherwise, why not just
take the battery out?

2.  While I can't really see the need for TTL in the M6, I guess that
Leica does.  Inside of everyone fussing, just be thankful that a Leica
of any kind is still available.  I do wish it came in chrome, however.
If I need TTL and all that, well, that's what my EOS is for (the
Exchequer wouldn't authorize a R8).  No camera can be all things for all
types of photography (although Leica certainly tried with its profusion
of accessories!).  If I don't want AF, well, I turn it off. Ditto AE,
autobracket, whatever else there is.  In horseback rifding, there's
always the question of whether the rider's riding the horse or
vice-versa.  Ditto with photography.  I'll bet that the Contax list is
just as full of folks complaining about what's too slow, or missing, or
whatever and what's going to be lacking from the next model.  The Leica
is a glorious anachronism (even the R8 in some ways) and the opportunity
for most of us to own something that we can truly say is the best, both
at what it does and at how well it's built to do it.  Enjoy them for
what they are -- superb machines and if they can't do something that you
really want, well my Alfa can't hold 4 people so I use something else
when that happens!   Around my house, we have a plaque that hangs over
the doors of the kids rooms and when they are too whiny, they are
reminded to read the plaque:  "Fussito ergo sum -- I fuss therefore I
am."  Let's stop whining about what Leica might do or should have done
and use what we've got!

Bill