Re: [Leica] How many M Bodies Do you need

[Ted <tedgrant@home.com>]

Steve Beyer wrote:

> >>>>>>>>Hi Ted Grant and others, I was reading your wonderful comments on the
> working with M4 in the cold
> and it raised a question. Ted, how many M bodies do you carry with you on a
> trip? <<<<,

Hi Steve,

3 M6's always. !985 vintage.

> >>>>>How many do you normally have handy and ready to use? <<<<<

3 always

> >>>>Do you stick with 1 or two bodies with a couple of extra lenses or do you
> have even more?<<<<<

I have a lens for each body that generally stays on the same body. And there are
a couple of others. Most of the time the 3 bodies are handy depending on the
type of assignment I'm shooting, then they could all be around my neck staggered
one above the other. Widest lens on top body down to the longest on the bottom.
There are some shoots I work with one camera and one lens, again depending what
I'm shooting determines which lens I use.

> >>>>I know this is going to vary considerably depending on what you are
> planning to shoot but I have no real idea on what a pro keeps ready to go just
> in case the situation arrives.  Thanks<<<<<

This question has as many answers as there are Leica carrying pros and their
method of shooting. I rarely, if ever, go anywhere without a camera on my
shoulder or around my neck. Certainly here at home I "never go anywhere without
one," as there is always the potential for a major earthquake rolling through
Vancouver Island and north western United States. Just imagine if an earthquake
should occur and I'm standing there with things falling down all around me and
not a camera insight! Jeeeesh I'd never forgive myself! ;-)

I have a small  canvas bag with two M6's, with RapidWinder's and RapidGrips, a
50 mm  f.1.0 Noctilux, a 35 f 1.4 Summilux, a 90 mm f2.0 Summicron, 28 mm f2.8
Elmarit and a 15 mm Voigtlander in the bag at all times with twenty rolls of
film mostly B&W and usually a half dozen rolls of col neg of some kind. 100 and
800!

That bag is always ready to go immediately without any thought other than
grabbing it and move.. These days that panic requirement, fortunately, doesn't
occur too often. Today I much prefer the luxury of  preparing for a shoot at my
leisure, but one never loses the "expectancy of an old fire horse"  to be
prepared like a good boy scout.

If I'm going on a major shoot of several weeks, it's a whole new ball game of
how and what gets packed. M6's and R8's.  But even then, there is always an M6
at hand around neck or on shoulder no matter where I'm going. Plus a couple
rolls of film in my pocket. Walking about with only the roll of film in the
camera and not a couple of spares in your pocket makes the camera pretty useless
when you run out of film! :-) Think about it, keep it simple and being prepared
can keep you out of trouble on any assignment.

I trust this is of some help.
ted Grant

>
>
> Steve