Re: [Leica] less equipment

[Daniel Ridings <daniel.ridings@muspro.uio.no>]

I see we're in a Solms banging mood.

Personally, if (and when ... since I do drop them) I need help with a
Leica repair, I wouldn't consider anyone else other than Solms.

They pissed me off once when it came to my M3, but right before I left on
vacation they wrote and told me they would reverse the damage and put a
good rangefinder back into the camera. They probably thought I was some
kind of fuddy-dud who would want the latest and greatest so they had fixed
me up with a M6 rangefinder with 35mm framelines in the M3. Bad combo.

I dropped and cracked the case on my M4 and I got it back in brand-new
condition.

The turn around has been about 14 days. It took a bit longer because _I_
was out of town and didn't approve the estimate (very reasonable, I might
add) as soon as I got it.

As for minimum equipment ... M2 + 35 M4 + 50 and a loose 90 fits nicely
into a Domke "Shooters bag". Actually, what I usually end up carrying
around is the M2 and M4 as above + F3 with a 24 and 85. Still fits into
that bag with film filling up the rest of the crevices.

In "minimum mode" it's just M-body + 35 (50% of the time) or 50 (the
rest). DamFyNo why I choose one or the other. If I'm going to be with
friends I probably take the 35 and if I'm just going to poke around,
probably the 50.

Daniel (can't sleep over here)


On Sun, 27 Jul 2003, Peter Klein wrote:

> Chris:  I've always been a 35-50-90 kind of guy.  But somehow, I've ended
> up with two basic kits, one for available light, and one for travel and
> walkabout.
>
> Bodies:  M6TTL, M4-P.
>
> With the recent drop in price of non-metered bodies, it isn't worth selling
> the M4-P, which would mean losing the price drop since I bought it, plus
> the cost of a CLA with new curtains. And given Leica's recent moves re.
> repair, I think it's prudent to have a second body and two of the focal
> length or lengths one uses the most.
>
> ---- begin rant mode re. Leica's new parts policy ----
>
> I can see it now:  "I'm *so* sorry, Mr. Klein, but we couldn't replace your
> left-handed set screw here in New Jersey.  That is something only Solms can
> do.  I have inquired at the factory.  Your camera is on the repair bench of
> Schultz, who is on a five-week holiday, and has a six-month backlog after
> that.  We asked if his apprentice, Schmidt could do your repair.  But
> Schmidt is only qualified to work on right-handed set screws.  He will need
> eight more years with the firm before he is permitted to work on
> left-handed set screws.  I apologize for the inconvenience.  I'm sure you
> understand that only by such stringent rules can Leica maintain the
> superior quality of which it is justly famous."
>
> (Please note that the preceding is imaginary and satirical.  It did not
> actually happen.)
>
> ---- end rant -----
>
> Anyway, my walkabout and travel kit:
>
> 35/2 pre-Asph Summicron
> 50mm Summicron with tab and clip-on shade
> 90mm classic Elmarit from the 1960s
>
> Available light kit:
>
> 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH
> 50/1.5 V/C Nokton
> 90mm pre-Asph Summicron
>
> I use all of these lenses at one time or another.  I probably could part
> with the 35 'Cron and the 90 Elmarit.  But the 35 'Cron is such a lovely
> lens, beautiful at f/2.8 and smaller, and so small and handy.  The 90
> Elmarit is fine at outdoor apertures, and very handy and light compared to
> anything current.  I owned a 90 Tele-Elmarit back in the 70s, and I prefer
> the older lens.
>
> The only RF lens I've owned outside the 35-90 range is the 25mm V/C
> Skopar.  I sold that because I only used it occasionally in Europe, almost
> never in the U.S.  I also didn't like the viewfinder and the
> guess-focusing.  I really think that 24mm and wider are better suited to an
> SLR, because the focusing isn't *that* critical most of the time, and the
> SLR sees the perspective better.  Perhpaps I just don't "see" wide.
>
> If I had to keep only one body, I would keep the M6TTL.  If I could keep
> only one lens of each focal length, I'd keep the 50 Summicron,  the 35
> Summilux ASPH, and the 90 Summicron.  If I could only keep one lens, I
> would be hard-pressed to choose between the 50 Summicron and the 35/1.4 ASPH.
>
> --Peter
>
> >Martin Howard wrote:
> >
> >   > But, for me, the main point is that it shows that good photography can
> >   > be practiced with a single camera body, three lenses, two films, and a
> >   > single paper.  It's easy to forget that sometimes.  Not least in this
> >   > forum.
> Chris wrote:
>
> >Since my Leica camera bag recently went bust due to constant
> >overstuffing,I have been thinking of getting rid of some more of my
> >equipment.
> >
> >I took a first step even before the bag went bust when  I replaced my
> >90mm APO-Asph by the 50mm Summicron, first the current version with
> >clip on sunshade and then the current version with built in sliding
> >sunshade. I am very happy with this move, which was inspired by a
> >LUGger who showed a lot of his wedding portraits made with a 50mm
> >lens here on the LUG. The sliding lens shade works very well, and
> >sves time and space, but as someone said here recently, it is
> >probably is not as good a protection as the old one if you drop the
> >lens, but that happens very rarely in my case.
> >
> >Next on the block to go is probably the 21mm Asph. Some time ago I
> >was offered a 15mm Super Wide Heliar new in the box for 360 dollars,
> >and although I had had one earlier, which I sold because it was a
> >lemon, I could not resist the offer as I had read that most LUGgers
> >were pleased with their S/W Heliars. This one works just fine, and
> >it does not worry me that the paint flakes off here and there, just
> >as others have experienced. But I hardly use the 21 mm any more. Add
> >to that that the 21 mm is the heaviest, most voluminous and most
> >expensive of all my lenses. Will I be a happier man and a better
> >photographer once it is gone?
> >
> >I should add that I also have a 35 mm Summicron, which I find
> >sufficiently different from the 50mm to be deaf on both ears, should
> >somebody recommend that I change it to 28 or 24 mm and sell the 21
> >mm. One additional reason I like the 35 mm compared to the 24 and 28
> >mm is that there is adequate space around the frames with a .72
> >viewfinder.
> >
> >Otherwise I use two M7 bodies, two films (Delta 100 and HP5), two
> >film developers (Xtol and Rodinal.) and a single paper (Kodak
> >Polysomething RC) in one size (9 1/2 by 12"). I generally shoot ....,
> >well look at my websites.
> >
> >It would be a great help to me if persons having reduced their
> >equipment would share their experience with me. But do I find such
> >persons on the LUG?  ;-)
> >
> >Chris
> >- --
>
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
>

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html