Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/29

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Two bodies two film types
From: "Carleton, Sam" <Sam.Carleton@FMR.COM>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 13:41:02 -0400

I am starting to collect a wider array of camera, currently it is 4x5,
Nikon, and now Leica.  A while ago I tried hitting the street with both 35mm
and 4x5 and quickly discovered that I would only shoot with one and the
other one was simply to give me better exercise.  Thus I concluded that I
would only carry the one camera I wanted to shoot with that day and leave
the rest at home.  My images improved because my focus improved.

On another note, I use to have two F3's.  I would always have the same film,
different lens for the exact reason you stated.  The only reason I would
consider getting a second M6 for different film is so that I would not have
to load/unload to get a different film.  Which ever film I was not shooting,
I would leave in the car.  But I shoot almost exclusively Tri-X, so it is
not a problem, yet!

Sam

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Rodgers, David [SMTP:david.rodgers@xo.com]
	Sent:	Tuesday, May 29, 2001 12:47 PM
	To:	'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'
	Subject:	[Leica] Two bodies two film types

	For years the primary reason I carried two bodies was to shoot two
different
	types of film; color and b/w. Frankly, I rarely used both. I'd
either found
	myself to be in a color or a b/w mindset. So one body usually went
unused.
	It became a lens holder, and little more. 

	A while back I had occasion to shoot both bodies with the same film
(new
	D400 not that it matters). Using two bodies interchangably with the
same
	film has really opened my eyes. First, there's a real freedom in
being able
	to use either of two lenses without having to swap anything. And I
don't
	even mean vastly different lenses. I've primarily been using the
35/1.4 and
	50/1.4, and less frequently a 28. I've come to appreciate that the
35 and 50
	are very different focal lengths. I've owned and used both for
years. But I
	either used one or the other. Never both. Even if I had them with
me, I
	never felt it worth the effort to change. If the 35 was a little
wide, I
	just used it anyway. If the 50 was a little tight, again, I just
used it
	anyway. 

	I've had reasons to shoot lots of film over the past several weeks.
I've
	carried two M6s -- same film, different lenses. I find myself
switching from
	one camera to the other quite often. It's really opened my eyes to
the
	difference between the 35 and 50. I always photograph with the goal
of
	printing full frame. I don't like to crop. Having two bodies that
can be
	used interchangably is almost like having an M zoom. Why not just
use an R
	with a 35-70 zoom? That's something I've considered. But one reason
I like
	the M option is maximum aperture. Not too many f1.4 zooms. Secondly,
using
	an R with a zoom for me is more cumbersome than carrying two M6s. I
usually
	know which body (lens) I want as soon as I see something. I very
rarely
	preview and then switch. 

	It's taken me a long time to learn that two bodies with only one
film type
	is really handy; and in many ways much better than using two
different types
	of film. Still, can't help that I have the urge to get a third M6
for some
	color film. Old habits die hard. 

	Dave

	PS I'm curious if anyone else carries two bodies with two different
types of
	film (not for ISO reasons, but b/w, color trans, or color reversal).
	Conversely, do many people shoot two bodies with the same film?
Personally,
	I find it really difficult to switch between between color and b/w.
Before I
	get started shooting, yes. But after, no.