[Leica] Catching up on the LUG digest

[William Gower <w.gower@home.com>]

Hey LUG

I just returned from a long weekend in Ottawa (boy was it ever bloody cold
on Saturday and Sunday...burrr)

Anyway, a few topics of interest to the LUG:

1. I visited the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, and while
taking a break to load some film in my camera, I noticed a book published by
the National Film Board of Canada.

I flip through it and immediately notice a shot of three cool cats circa mid
60's - and the hip guy in the middle of the group has a chrome M4 around his
neck. Then I read the caption - the guy in the middle is Ted Grant.

2. I picked up a black, pre-war 90/4 Elmar. It's in great shape and the
focus is so silky smooth it's uncanny. I was expecting hazzy, foggy glass,
but it's clear as a bell, save for some very minor cleaning marks. My
question is - the black pre-war Elmars were supposed to be uncoated, but
this one has a distinct deep blue coating. The other black 90/4 I looked at
didn't have this. Could this one have been sent back to Leitz for upgrading
? I though that the head had been replaced, but when you unscrew the lens
head, the serial number is written in graphite pencil in the "body" of the
lens, so it probably is original.

Nice lens (a bargain for 140 CDN w/ caps) and sure to knock the crap out of
my Jupiter-9 that can't focus to infinity.

3. Use your Leica's and don't be afraid:

I shot a few rolls on the weekend in -15 to -20 C with a nasty wind-chill,
and I'm surprised that it didn't freeze up on me. My only disappointment was
that it was cold enough that the focus on the Elmar was so tight I couldn't
budge it, and I lost a bit of vulcanite on the back door.

While changing a lens, I dropped my 50/2 right in a snowbank. It was nice
fluffy snow and the lens buried itself a good foot in the white stuff. It
looked just like when Willie Coyote makes a hole when he falls off a cliff.
I had to stick my arm down the hole to fetch it.

On Monday, my company held a 2 day meeting at a resort about an hour north
west of Ottawa - and we had to attend "team building sports" Canadian winter
style.

You guessed it - it involved more snow. And the goal of the last event was 5
people tying two 12 foot poles to their feet like a big giant snowshoe and
trying to run while others on the sidelines dumped snow on them with 5
gallon buckets.

While I was taking pictures of the chaos, my M2 got the lions share of a 5
gallon barrage of slushy brown snow, beer and brandy.

Frankly, I'm really surprised how well the M2 is sealed for a non-waterproof
camera. I just wiped off the snow and shot the rest of the roll, then when I
got back inside I dried it off with a towel. No fuss, but the brandy made it
a bit sticky. Smells nice though, just like a cigar.

Regards

William