Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/07/18

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Subject: RE: [Leica] LUG: automation vs. the brain
From: "Dan Honemann" <ddh@home.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 18:12:58 -0400

Steve,

Great post, with some very compelling points.  Here are some thoughts your
message generated here:

1. The batteries can always be removed from your TTL's, thus solving your
diode distraction problem (though admittedly, the TTL buys you little if
anything above your M2, and just introduces some rf flare (I know you
haven't experienced this yet) so why bother?).

2. That method of street-shooting works fine for print film (plenty of
latitude), but not so great with slides (granted, not many street
photographers shoot E6, but I have been lately).

3. Of all the automated gimmicks to come along the last few decades,
aperture priority auto-exposure and motor-drives seem (to me) to be the most
genuinely useful.  I find that I can shoot much faster (and concentrate much
more on composition) with the Hexar RF than with my M6 TTL because of these
two features.  The down sides are that the motor-drive makes some noise, and
so can call attention to itself in some situations (which is why an M is
worth having along as well), and the Hexar's center-weighted metering isn't
as reliable (I find) as the M6's partial.  Again, when shooting print film,
the latter is hardly an issue; for slides, I find I lose a frame here and
there to wrong metering.  But I've gotten a bit more savvy about it, and
have begun to get better acquainted with the exposure compensation dial as a
result.

Cheers,
Dan

P.S. Regarding the R8: I really thought I would, too!  Just didn't feel
right to me, though.  It may happen yet.  Or I may just content myself with
my two rangefinders.  Life could be a lot worse than that. :)

Replies: Reply from Rich Lahrson <tripspud@transbay.net> ([Leica] NEW M winder question)