[Leica] Canon RF mount-Some Like them Light

[Buzz Hausner <Buzz@marianmanor.org>]

I must demure from Mr. Stella's observations.  One of the reason I like the
aluminum Leica lenses is their light weight.  I find them every bit as tough
as their heavier ancestors and I still think they have that "quality feel."
For those who prefer a heavier lens, albeit at a price, you can still buy
the brass-barreled chrome or titanium lenses in the most popular focal
lengths.  The only mistake I think Leica has made in the present line of
lenses is discontinuation of the clip-on shades in favor of incorporating
those silly telescoping lens shades.

- -----Original Message-----
From: Dante A Stella [mailto:dante@umich.edu]
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2000 7:01 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Canon RF mount

Here's a thought: the only thing that makes our Ms and Hexars and such
"luxury"
cameras is the fact that they're built like cheapo cameras of long ago.  No
matter what your modern M-mount is made from (zinc, aluminum, plastic,
titanium),
it's still not as smooth and solid as a Canon P or a IIIf.  Ever notice just
how
heavy a Canon 50/1.5 is?  Heavy as hell.  By comparison, modern Summicrons
feel
like they're made of plastic (well, aluminum).  Stuff we say today has a
quality
feel would be laughed out of the door in the 1950s and 1960s.

Even in the Canon line, the build difference between a P and a 7 is obvious
- - the
7 is proportionately lighter and not quite as solid in the hand (may be the
meter
and the frameline mechanism).  And that was just 2 years' difference.

If everything else were equal, it would always be preferable to use an LTM
lens
on an M body with an adapter.  But M-mount lenses have better glass than the
typical (old) LTM lenses.  Why doesn't Leica make all lenses LTM?  The same
reason they stopped making LTM in the first place (the original M lenses
were LTM
with adapters).  Greed and planned obselescence (yes, even Leitz did that
once).