Re: Re: [Leica] No more leicas

[ShadCat11@aol.com]

Inspired by these confessionals, I will admit to not being a Leica user.  My 
35 mm outfit consists of Nikon FM2s with lenses ranging from 20 to 300 mm.  
That is because I like through the lens viewing and 1/250th sec. synch for 
fill flash, and need some of those lenses for professional purposes (my 
walk-around gear is usually an FM with 50 and 28 mm lenses, though).  

I do have a history with Leicas.  In the mid '50s I was a huge Leica fan, 
especially of the screw mount models.  That was because of the light weight 
and compact size.  I owned a succession of them; IIIa, IIIc, several IIIfs, 
and a IIIg, all with 50 mm lenses, f3.5 and f2.8 Elmars, f2 Summar, Summitar 
and Summicron.  For my first 10 years I used nothing but that focal length in 
35 mm, and the equivalent in MF (Rollei, of course).  

When I got around to trying other focal length lenses, I found the screw 
mount Leicas not so handy, and so had to move on.  While I greatly respected 
Leica Ms, I never had quite as much enthusiasm for them because of the 
increased size and weight.  Still, by 1968 I was working with an M4 and M2 
with 90 and 50 mm Summicrons and a 35 mm Summilux.  Along the way I acquired 
a Pentax Spotmatic to use with longer focal length lenses, which began the 
slippery slope.  In due course I sol off the Leicas (not without emotion, I 
must say, especially for the IIIg) and went SLR.  Oddly, I still use Rolleis, 
sometimes professionally, but mostly to sooth my soul.

So why, you ask, did I sign up with the Leica list?  It has been my 
experience that, as a group, Leica users are more knowledgeable and 
"focussed" photographers than their counterparts who use other stuff.  I am 
more likely to pick up useful information from LUGers than NUGers (are there 
such?), even though I am of the latter camp.

Well, that feels much better!  It's no good living in the closet.  I declare 
myself a Leica sympathizer rather than user and let the (micro) chips fall 
where they may.

Allen Zak



In a message dated 05/31/2001 8:00:34 AM, you wrote:

<<> examples of this is that I have now dumped my leica Ms and am now using 
EOS
> 1 Vs. I have realised that I am just not suited to the M and that I take
> better pictures with an SLR. This is nothing against the M, which is still
> my fave camera, but as I can't afford both the Ms have gone. My back is
> already complaining at the extra weight, but the picture is what counts
> right?

Right, and congratulations to you for following your instincts and your
pursuit for better photographs.  I really needed to hear this because
I've recently done the same (mainly due to the costs of moving into a
new house, but I thought I'd use it as an excuse to kick my habit).
As much as I told myself it's the photograph that counts, I still found
myself thinking more about the gear than composition and the right
moments during a shoot.

So now it's back to the old FM2N with a handful of AIS lenses, a kit that
for some reason I don't have to think about when shooting, and one with
which I've made some of my best photogrpahs.  It's hard to break that
Leica bond, especially when you really love using that equipment.

> I'll lug the EOS around and look enviously at your Ms.

That's okay; I'll look enviously at your photographs.

- --Andrew
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