Re: [Leica] Alastair's NOT strange

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

"Stewart, Alistair" wrote:
> 
> Mike,
> 
> thanks for reinforcing this. (The exposure estimating, that is, not my lack
> of strangeness).
> 
> Maybe we should administer an EV estimating test, prior to acceptance to the
> LUG? :=) BIG GRIN, JUST A JOKE.
> 
> Oops, sorry, this is the LUG. We should administer a test to see who knows
> how much plastic the beanie babies put in the M6. Sorry, just for a moment I
> thought this group was for Users. My error. I forgot it is for fondlers.
><Snip>

I've also had luck putting black tape over the viewfinder and guessing the
composition and distances in a class in school which I've mentioned. But I
didn't think of saying that I had "upgraded my camera to an M1" by doing so.
Alistair had made a comment along the lines of upgrading his M6 to and M4-p by
taking the batteries out because the lights slow him down and stop him from
taking pictures.
I find that delightfully eccentric and in a way I kinda wished I said it. 
Never had a set of LED's or a needle on an exposure meter prevent me from
shooting a picture. Maybe in my first few months of photography as a young teen
did I have trouble juggling my awareness.
The meter in my M6 does not distract me. It is an intriguing idea that it would,
but no, it doesn't. I've learned to deal with it.
If my batteries go out when I'm out with my camera when I don't have a back up;
I seem to make it home ok and manage to still get some shots which come out. 
In other instances when I am paid to get a shot I would not dream of not having backups.
The idea that I would think "I know what this exposure better than some stupid
meter" and guess instead of using a meter is a little unusual sounding to me
having been a photographer for most of 25 years. I guess I'm not hip. I have
instincts which come into play when I shoot. But when I have to get a shot to
not take a reading is a laugh. I usually have my reading already taken and a
good idea how my camera is set up before anything fast breaking that I'm going
to have to get is going to happen. Good for you you guys to have developed your
delicate sensibilities and instincts to such a pitch. If I'm super paranoid I'll
bring along other meters to analyze the situation further. Do I know what a
reading might be when I walk into a room? I think I might have some clue. But to
not take a reading would require an explanation to my client and/or myself. I
don't always shoot tri x. I sometimes have to shoot chromes. Sometimes mixed
films of different disparate ASA's. I'm not going to say not using a meter
borders on dilettantism  but I am going to say I can't afford to do it.  Am I
loosing shots by playing with a meter? No I think I figured out how to get
around such issues if not at day one than at day two decades ago. I do respect
the force! But not if I don't have to.
Mark Rabiner