[Leica] Re: NEW M7 MAJOR CROCK-POT CROW PARMESAN

[Rolfe Tessem <rolfe@ldp.com>]

> Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 13:09:51 -0500
> From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Re:  NEW M7 MAJOR CROCK-POT CROW PARMESAN
> Message-ID: <MBBBJHIBKCKEAEOKKBPOMEBKCDAA.bdcolen@earthlink.net>
> References: 
> 
> - -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Rolfe
> Tessem
> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 12:12 AM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: [Leica] Re: NEW M7 MAJOR CROCK-POT CROW PARMESAN
> 
> 
>> And a flash, like the Olympus, that will sync up to a 1000th? Where do I
> 
> put
> 
>> down my deposit on one. And if I have to buy an M7 just to use that flash,
>> where do I get one of those.
> 
> 
> 
> And here is the problem -- all this focus on flash, flash, flash. If I
> need a camera with truly sophisticated flash capabilities, I'm not going
> to use an M camera and I'm certainly not going to use an M7 with half
> the capability of cameras designed with a modern shutter such as, for
> example, the R8 or even a Nikon FM3.
> 
> Rolfe Tessem
> rolfe@ldp.com
> New York City
> 
> 
> Well, Rolfe - I'm someone who shoots primarilly with Ms, virtually always
> with Tri-X at 800, and I always shoot available light unless I have no
> alternative. HOWEVER - That doesn't meant that I wouldn't like an M with
> real fill-flash capability, particularly for use outdoors when I want just a
> touch of fill to get rid of racoon eyes, or want to lighten up shadows a
> touch. With the current M, with a sync of a 50th, that's pretty well
> impossible unless one is using verrrry slow film, which I don't use.
> 
> I certainly understand the mindset of the folks who want a plain vanilla
> mechanical camera. What I don't understand are people who think that a
> camera with additional features is a "bad" camera, and some sort of
> violation of the myth of Leica. Again, if you don't want it, don't buy it.
> If you don't need a particular feature, don't use it. I doubt that Leica
> will be stupid enough to end production of the traditional M - the current
> M6 TTL - but if they are, there are plenty of used bodies around, and plenty
> of excellent repair folks who will keep them going long after most of us are
> in our graves.
> 
> B. D.


B.D.,

I certainly don't think the M6 TTL is a "bad" camera. I own one; in fact 
I own a black paint model, so how bad can it be? :-).

The point is, Leica is a small company with limited resoures. It *is* 
important which areas the company focuses on, because it is not large 
enough to focus on everything.

To the extent that the company devotes a lot of resources to putting TTL 
flash capability into an M camera, it means they are not putting 
resources into somthing that I, and perhaps many, would consider more a 
more useful allocation of their efforts.

At the moment, my 40 year old M3 gives me just about the same 
functionality as my M6 or M6TTL. Actually more, since it can sync with 
flashbulbs and has a better viewfinder. :-)

That 40-50 year life, which is built into the price of new Leicas, will 
go away as more electronic functionality is built into the cameras. Does 
this matter? Perhaps not. I don't expect my R8 to be usable 50 years 
from now. But the M cameras do have this heritage and therefore this 
expectation.

While you might use the TTL flash metering capability of the M6 TTL 
occasionally, as I do, no professional in his/her right mind would use 
it on on a real job that really required this capability for the 
successful completion of the assignment. You'd be too worried that that 
the 1/50th sync speed just wouldn't let you get the shot. There are a 
multitude of cameras out there, including the R8, that would be better 
choices and you would use one of those.

One other thought on TTL flash: this is really a simple-minded 
technology that is limited to a single on-camera or possibly a single 
off-camera flash. I think it was probably designed with wedding 
photographers in mind. Once you get into any kind of multiple light 
setup, the TTL stuff is useless anyway. You just have to meter the flash 
  and do it the old-fashioned way.

Sometimes, less is more.

- --
Rolfe Tessem
rolfe@ldp.com
New York City












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