[Leica] MY NEW 75MM SUMMILUX HAS ARRIVED!

["EXT-Alexander, John" <John.Alexander@ARZ.Boeing.com>]

Fellow LUGgers,
A couple of weeks ago my wife, Brenda, and I took a trip to Sonora Bay,
Mexico for relaxin', photographin', fishin'...and generally, unwindin'.  I
took an M6HM TTL (with TA RapidWinder/Softie), 35 Summicron (pre-ASPH) ,
50mm Summicron (latest), and a 90mmAA and a number of rolls of Tri-X, 100VS,
and Astia - all neatly tucked away in a Billingham Alice bag.   It turned
out to be a wonderful trip; and I got to really put my three lenses through
their paces in all kinds of light - from bright, sunlight beaches to
dimly-lit cafes and restaurants in and around Guaymas and the Sea of Cortez.
'Really got familiar with the RapidWinder and the camera meter.  Great
tools.   Well, when you've got a week to do nothing but have fun and burn
film, you tend to LEARN a bit about your gear.  Most of the pictures were
credible.  Quite a few were throwaways, though, even though technically O.K.
( Brenda has a different set of criteria about discards than I do, so when
we both superimpose our "nays"  a lot of stuff doesn't make the cut!  B/W
pictures were all pretty good for the most part.  Astia  (people shots)
viewed through all three lenses was awesome.   The 100VS  was not used as
much as the other films; but what it saw (scenics for the most part), it saw
very well, indeed.   We stayed at the San Carlos Plaza hotel - just a
stone's throw from Club Med Sonora Bay.   The sand there is white, and the
water is crystal-clear blue green!  I took advantage of every opportunity
(many) to speak Spanish whenever I could...and to coax Brenda (mostly
unsuccessfully)  into using some of her newly learned phrases.  Our guide
for horseback riding along the beach spoke no English, and I managed to
communicate with him sufficiently to allow him to take (one of our best
shots) a picture of Brenda and I on horseback - with our backs to the bay!
Fun! Fun! Fun!

When all was said and done, there were quite a few LESSONS LEARNED. 1) I
felt an acute need for more cameras (two, at least!)- because of the obvious
advantage of having instant access to different films and more than one
lens) and,  perhaps, a slightly different choice of lenses.   If I had to do
this again (and I WILL1!) I'd bring along the following kit: 2-M6HM TTLs, a
35mm Summilux ASPH, and a 75mm Summilux.  PERIOD!  (A 24mm ASPH added to the
kit wouldn't hurt a bit, though.)   I found that a lot of changing between
the 50 an 90 could have been eliminated by using the 75.!  The Billingham
bag would be a better "carrier" if it had some kind of anti-skid device
where the bag rests on your shoulder - 'cause it tended to capriciously
slide off my shoulder at the most inopportune times

SO...when I got back from the trip I posted for a possible swap of the 90AA
for a 75 Summilux.  Well, Dr. Joseph Yao (LUGger) in Hong Kong was up to the
task; and yesterday, this black beauty arrived.   Incidentally, Dr. Yao is
the consummate gentleman and businessman; and doing business with him is
rewarding in every way.   The (Germany-fabricated) 75 Summilux Joseph sent
me is a GORGEOUS lens.  Rarely have I ever had such a good feeling just
handling a lens.  Mechanically, it reeks of smoothness and precision.
Looking at the big front glass element, one can't help but feel an air of
confidence in this optic when one sees the lovely soft, pervasive,
pinkish-lavender multi-coating reflections.  It's a lens that screams...TAKE
ME OUT AND USE ME...NOW!!!!!   If you like the feel of the 90AA, this lens
can hardly be described as heavy.  It's only 12% heavier than the 90AA; and
with the Leica M-grip on the M6, it balances gracefully and effortlessly.
(Looking forward to TA's grip for the RapidWinder).  For this particular
lens, however, the M-grip provides just the right combination of balance and
inertial stability - promising lower and lower shutter speeds, hand held.  

Thanks to the many posts in the past from such notables as Jim Brick, Dan
Cardish, et al, regarding the merits of the 75mm Summilux, I don't even
entertain the idea of disappointment on any level with this lens.   NOW I'LL
JUST SHUT UP AND GO OUT AND USE THE DAMN LENS!!!!!!!  Thanks for listenin'!

John A. Alexander
Phoenix
(480)891-8691