RE: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5

["bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Wait, Don! My assessment is 180 degrees from yours. You don't agree with
me; you completely disagree.:-) I said I thought that the problem with
the M5 was the reactionary Leica fanboys who couldn't deal with the
heretical ideas of a slightly - and it is very slightly - larger M, the
longest rangefinder base, and therefore most accurate focusing of any M
ever produced, and a built in, highly accurate, spot meter. 

I think the M5 was and is the only really innovative M camera. But hey,
these are the kind of differences of opinion that make for horse races -
and Leica's ultimate demise. ;-)

B. D.
- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Don R.
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 10:08 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5


Here's my opinion of the M-5 after owning one for about two years.
Compared to the earlier M-series, the M-5 was an oversize, clumsy effort
to field a Leica with a built-in lightmeter. The silly moveable
lightmeter arm that smacked the back of the two wide angle lenses was
always a nuisance. After years of living with the M-3's and M-4's, the
M-5 was like getting out of an elegant 911 Porsche and into a Volkswagen
"BEAST."

Therefore, I am in 100% agreement with B.D.'s assessment of the M-5. If
the "THING" had not been such a clumsy design, and had been as well
received as the earlier M series, it would still be marketed.  There
were just not enough Leica fans that wanted a massive 35mm camera that
hung from one end like a Kodak.

Don R.


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Leo Hufener" <ljhuf@tiscali.nl>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 5:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5


> Please look in your ,mirror to see un ugly pig and stop that 
> irrational snobby nonsense about the perfect M5.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Martin Howard" <mvhoward@mac.com>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 2:56 AM
> Subject: [Leica] The truth about the Leica M5
>
>
> > B.D. Colen wrote:
> >
> > > What Leitz was unhappy with was the reactionary
> > > Leica buyers who didn't know what to make of the M5. Yes, it's 
> > > bigger than the M4 was - but not by very much. The real curse of 
> > > the M5 was that it had an internal meter - a very good one as a 
> > > matter of fact - and the all mechanical Leica aficionados just 
> > > weren't ready for the built-in meter at that point, nor were they 
> > > ready for a "bigger" camera.
> >
> > You're missing the point, just as Leica did at the time.  Leica 
> > rangefinders are not rational choices.  They are emotional choices. 
> > The Leica M5 was, is, and always will be, an ugly pig, an aethetical

> > abomination.  This is even more apparent because of the exquisite 
> > beauty of the lines of the old LTM cameras and their updated cousins

> > in the M2, M3, and M4.  I don't care how damn good the M5 is as a 
> > camera, how great the meter is, or how insignificant the size 
> > increase is.  The fact remains: it's fugging uckly.
> >
> > It's as though Porsche had decided to build a five-door estate 
> > version of the 911.
> >
> > These days, of course, Leica has got the point almost too well: they

> > no longer make cameras, only fashion accessories.  Take a look at 
> > Stephen Gandy's site at the list of "special edition" M6s.  QED.
> >
> > (Then, of course, we have the Cayenne.  Let's not mention that any
> > more.)
> >
> > M.
> >
> > --
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> > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
> >
>
>
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