[Leica] Some Leica it HOT !

["Miro Jurcevic" <miroj@ozemail.com.au>]

OK, I did the sensible thing. I got some lenses first and then went on the
trail for a body. I got the R series over Blad's and the M's.

The first body, an R4, came from Ebay with no rear seals, the second, an R4S
came with a seriuosly useless and flaking bayonet. Obviously I was scraping
the bottom of the barrel here. $300 - $400 USD was not going to buy any
serious Leica body. That's what they cost me and I was going nowhere. The
cameras were going back to the sellers (retailers on mail order).

I took two more precautions. Spend more money and do it in person.

I bought a mintish R7, mucho grande, for about $1,040 USD in a box with a
new strap. Showed my trophy to an old friend in the magazine trade. Took it
home and despite my lung twisting flu, thought that I finally saw the light
at the end of the tunnel.

Whilst playing with the lenses in f22 mode and on 4 seconds, I noticed that
the iris was only half closed and then two thirds, I checked for manual
mode, then stopped it down manually. Sure enough I picked my third lemon in
a week.

It's enough to make me want a 'blad.