Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/20

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Subject: [Leica] Flash mount positions
From: Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 11:03:50 -0700

OK, B.D., Lucien and Martin - where would you have put a flash shoe on a
Nikon F, F2 or F3?  It seems to me the only other possibility was on the
prism, and the housing of a removable prism is none too secure with a 1970's
flash wobbling atop.  Remember, they did put in a PC sync post (with a whole
bunch of neat sync options on the F, too) for the use of off-camera flashes.

And let us also not forget, the only people this design flaw discriminated
against was that band of feckless effetes who insisted on using on-camera
twinky flash.  Hardly a hardship IMO.  It could even be looked on as an
advantage, as you can use things like waist-level or smokestack finders
without losing the use of your on-camera twinky light...

As far as I can tell, the "industrial designer" who originally came up with
that feature of the F (and wasn't it also present on the SP?) made the best
of the situation at hand and the design parameters he was given.  And this
one ergonomic annoyance is decidedly not the fault of Mr. Guigiaro, who
IMNSHO did a bang-up design job on every other aspect of the camera (I'm
pretty sure that egregious finder readout wasn't his fault, though it did
prepare me for the two leds in the M6 :-)

Can you tell I love my F3?

Paul

>-----Original Message-----
>From: B. D. Colen [mailto:bdcolen@earthlink.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 12:21 PM
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: RE: [Leica] Meta Photokina
>
>
>The stupidity Martin correctly points out is a prime example 
>of a designer -
>be he or she an industrial or a graphic designer - controlling 
>a creative
>process. Sure, the end result may look keen, but does it work 
>optimally?
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Martin
>> Howard
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 12:09 PM
>> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Meta Photokina
>>
>>
>> Lucien jotted down the following:
>>
>> >> Guigiaro was the industrial designer involved in the F3
>> project.  I guess
>> >> that placing the flash sync contacts over the rewind 
>socket was his
>> >> contribution of "genius" to that particular project...
>> >
>> >
>> > It was already like that on the Nikon F and F2.
>>
>> So, is that an excuse for letting the stupidity continue? ;)
>>
>> M.