Re: [Leica] lower classes don't use leicas?

["Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@hotmail.com>]

Tarek writes:

> In my experience, errors came when I didn't
> control what I was doing.

With a manual camera, that is the only possibility.  The fact remains, however,
that making manual adjustments typically requires more time than having them
made automatically in a fraction of a second by a computer within the camera.

> Anything automatic (Exposure or focusing) is only
> reliable to a certain extent. AF and AE can be
> fooled.

Yes, but I find that AF and AE on a good camera are accurate at least 99% of the
time, and it is difficult to match that accuracy with any manual camera.

> There is no way around knowing your camera and
> meter (tools). There is no way around practice. And
> no way around learning from your errors.

None of these with provide you with the requisite speed in many limiting
situations.  That is why automatic SLRs are more frequently used for many types
(all types?) of professional photography than manual rangefinders.

> As for the limited conditions under which a
> Leica can take photos... Sorry, but you'll have
> to be more precise on that one.

As precise as Leica's criteria for determining what makes a photographer
professional, you mean?

But since I am willing and able to answer questions, I shall do so here.  If I
want to shoot at f/2.8 in bright sunlight with Tri-X, I cannot do so with a
Leica M camera, as it does not provide shutter speeds beyond 1/1000 second.  I
can do so with an F5, however, since it provides speeds as high as 1/8000
second.

If I want to shoot racing cars coming towards me using a 90-mm lens, I cannot
follow focus accurately or quickly enough to do so with a Leica M, but I can
easily set an F5 to do this automatically, and it is very accurate.

Many other examples could be provided.

> Shutterspeeds are not a real problem unless you
> have the wrong film in your camera (nothing a ND
> filter won't solve), what else?

I cannot change film mid-roll.  Sometimes you must take pictures with what you
have.

> lenses?

Leica lenses are excellent overall, although they are not AF, which can be a
limitation in some situations.

> As to the lack of speedy service, the Atelier
> 102 is pretty speedy.

Pretty speedy to me means within a few hours.  How fast is Atelier 102?

> As to deadlines, any camera that breaks down
> will delay you.

Yes, but a camera that is broken for several weeks at a time will put me out of
business.

> It's always better to have a spare body at hand.

It's better still to have ten spare bodies on hand.  But spare bodies are
expensive, and thus not always cost-effective.  It can cost less to buy a camera
with a good service network behind it than to buy several identical cameras just
in case one breaks.

> It's a wonderful tool for travel photography,
> indoor portraits, any kind of journalistic work
> (I've seen M6 bodies that still worked after
> losing the viewfinder glass!), involving HUGE
> time constraints.

Not if it breaks.  And not for some types of journalistic work--such as sports
photography.  I don't think there are too many photographers shooting road races
with 400-mm lenses using Leica M rangefinders.

> I happen to feel at ease with the Leica M system
> and use it most of the time, to make money and
> for my pleasure.

If it works for you, fine.  But an assertion that it must be suitable for
everyone, all the time just because you manage to get by with it does not
logically follow.  The original point here was that Leica service is too slow
for many professionals, and that appears to be true, at least in some markets.

> Lot's of people thought that buying a Macintosh
> would simply eliminate a professional layouter
> or art director...

For many applications, it has, and so they were right.