Re: [Leica] First Time Choice of Leica Bodies (long)

[DFangon@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/24/02 4:22:51 PM Pacific Daylight Time, ahh@juniper.net 
writes:

<< If you're already thinking in terms of buying a whole collection
 of Leica stuff, you're probably on the wrong track, >>

Could you elaborate a little on this.  I also started with an M6 and the 50, 
in this case a 50/2.8.  My experience was that the 50 was too limiting and 
that I wished for at least a 35/2 in many photo opportunities I was faced 
with.  

One particular instance was when I was in downtown San Francisco.  Powell St. 
Station (of the Bay Area Transit System) off Market street is a known hub of 
chess players of all kinds, masters, hustlers, patzers, tourists etc. and 
from all nationalities, Russians, Eastern Europeans, Filipinos, Indians etc.  
I proceeded to take pictures of chess players and their games all lined up in 
one long column.  Not too long after, a woman sauntered off to the right of 
the frontmost game, smiled and signalled to me that she wanted her picture 
taken.  Sure, I obliged, and as I was adjusting the focus, she proceeded to 
pull up her shirt!   With a 50/2.8 on my lens, I could get her isolated 
beautifully but the picture meant so much more if I could frame her with the 
chess players.  I proceeded to do this after one take by stepping back but 
increasing the distance between us inconvenienced many passers by who had to 
either stop on their tracks or were forced to change directions to avoid 
cutting between us.  By this time, she quickly lost interest, pulled her 
shirt down and went on her way.  Oh if only I had a 35 instead of that darn 
50.  I still pine at the few frames could have a taken that morning.

By the way, the chess players never even looked up.  To them, the incident 
was more of a distraction than anything else.  It would have provided an 
ironic angle, a streaker in the midst of the most disinterested group of men 
she could ever find.

My advice, start with an M6 and a 35/2.0

Dante
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