Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/14

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Subject: advice from Leica (was: Re: [Leica] it DOESN'T work well for leica!)
From: Doug Herr <telyt560@cswebmail.com>
Date: 14 Jun 2000 14:47:11 -0700

On Wed, 14 June 2000, Ted Grant wrote:

> 
> Pascal wrote:
> 
> > Leica litterature advises against the use of an extender with the
> > Summilux-R 80mm.<<<<<<
> 
> Hi Pascal,
> They do that all the time, advise against the use of things.   The same
> as they advised me not to stack a 2X and 1.4 extenders together for the
> 280 2.8,  making it a hand holdable 800 mm f 8.0!  I did it before I
> asked them, saw the results and was somewhat surprised by the good
> quality of the images.
> 
> In my usual way of doing things ass backward,  I shot with it, nothing
> broke, it worked!  
> Then I asked for their reaction to stacking them, as usual they
> completely advised against it.  
> 
> "Why?"  Seemed like a reasonable question.  I asked.  They,  "It wont
> deliver acceptable Leica results."  Quite frankly there is the Leica
> test bench results, which we all like to have.  However,  there's real
> time results of using the equipment to work in the push and shove of the
> world.  Where getting the picture is far more important than how many
> thingies per mm is recorded.
> 
> So I have on  occasion got images I wouldn't have, if I followed their
> advise. We as Leica photographers should take their advise as given,
> after all no one wants to break anything. But I truly believe from
> experience of hearing and reading their advice,  we must weigh it
> carefully against the pictures we are paid to produce.
> 
> The truth is, what the hell do those scientific guys on a work bench
> know about using Leica equipment in the real world of working
> photographers? Diddly squat, unless it means they ran around Solms or
> Wetzlar happy snapping the village square activities, therefore making
> them believe they understood real world Leica picture taking.
> 
> Just my thoughts on some of the "advice from Leica, written or verbal."
> ted


There's "it's not good enough" advice, and there's "it's gonna break something" advice and Leica doesn't say which is which.  For example Leica advises against using the 1.4x APO converter on the 100 APO Macro; try it and you'll  do some damage to the optics.

(RANT mode ON)

OTOH, the 14256 Macro-Adapter-R (a fancy name for an extension tube)  CANNOT be used on any Leicaflex models, because it has an R-only bayonet flange on it.  I've never figured out why they had to make it with the R-only bayonet, except that there's no simple way to keep the meter coupling from the lens to a Leicaflex.  Why they didn't just use a Leicaflex bayonet (which works on R as well) and say "use stop-down metering when used with Leicaflex cameras" is beyond me.  I modified my 14256 by replacing the R bayonet with a Leicaflex bayonet, I use it on the SL frequently AND NOTHING BREAKS!  What is wrong with allowing photographers to get the most from their equipment?

(end RANT mode)

Doug Herr
Sacramento
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt
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