[Leica] Here's my own post for the day.

[Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com>]

Many of us hard core Leica fanatics have had to put a part of our brains
in Nikon land to go digital and NOT die with a capital "D" I'll correct
that later.
We see there is a history of putting Nikon glass on Leica LTM bodies as
well as I'm sure visa versa but don't know fer sure.

Any because of this extraordinary circumstance i decided whey i buy
Nikon it's part of my Leica system. Am i smart or what? (rhymes with Mark)

I've gotten lately some pretty - what did they say - "not shabby" normal
range focal length glass from Nikkor, some not quite from Nikor a 45 2.8
pancake from Cosina (It says Nikkor but we all know, were the first to
know no doubt. I told the camera store guy) I got a tele zoom which also
says Nikkor but is a Tokina - everyone says -  a 70-300 (I know,
ridiculous but for $99.99 i was loosing money not getting it, no it a
little more than that and had ED glass in it somewhere. That's always
good for another hundred or so. (I'm glad for it)
But back to normal my favorite subject I got the 45 pancake and it's
silver paint which is fun. My first lens was the 45 pancake which fits
nothing now THANK YOU Nikon for notin but Thanks to Cosina for bringing
my favorite first lens back I'm sure thanks from me would be first on
their list in their hallway of trophies.

I got the cropped normal 60 Macro so I can be the Nikor version of
Salgado I got the featherweight with built in hood 50 1.8 one of their
sharpest lenses ironically enough for $99.99 and that's the true number
this time so i can be HCB. (Everyone else tries to do it with their
Nikon or Canon 35mm and i just does not work out. HCB was a formalist at
least in my book). But call me Mark $99 Rabiner. Call me Mark $99 Made
in Switzerland Rabiner I just got a pressure cooker. (That's not a lens
((but could be)) ) and that's what it cost. Four course meal in 7
minutes. That's a sea level. Swiss food though. Looks like scrambled
eggs but.....?
I'm putting off getting the new 35 even though my old AI was a 2.8 which
bears the distinction of being the same thing that was on the
Rangefinders in days of yore.

So i didn't want to spend real money on something to fill in the cracks.
I'd found out why people love zooms for their digital work. It's because
they are no good and multiplying 1.5 or 1.3 in their heads. So i was
looking for a cheap zoom in a dark alley. My partner was dead and oops
wrong laptop.
Nikon has about a dozen to choose from. Not all cheap of course. I
wanted cheap. Cheap cheap cheap. I wanted it so cheap it made my teeth crawl.
The nice camera salesmen at Pro Photo showed me IF for $250, Silent wave
(I've perfected it check out the preview for "Blue Velvet." For about a
grand and a half. Wrong decimal point. I decimated that idea. I came
back from the bathroom and said "john, show me the glass you didn't want
to show me. He started taking stuff off of little plastic cameras which
was painted silver and feather light. One of which cost more without the
N55 camera to go with it. (Exaggeration, much). I thought I'd throw the
N55 away when I got home or give it to the German Shepard who would then
get HCB results with it and a pinhole made of Reynolds Wrap. If you said
it want formal he'd bark. One of his talents. But wags his tail at
Poker. Not his game.
But seriously folks. cheee----sit!!!!!

So now that I'm out of air I've come to the point of the story. Call it
the moral.
The N55 is the size of a Leica CL it weights on my kitchen scale two
ounces more than a 16 oz pound. My Rollei 35 weights in at two ounces
less than a 16 oz pound but fits in more pockets. The Leica N55 fits in
quite a few. As well as about a 60 Nikon lenes sold new now and not so
new before some without metering. It's like i have two different Nikon
systems. One low tech wonderfulness another high tech fun. The new stuff
is like wonderbread. Much more air than substance. FeatherLight and
their name for plastic. I'm all for it. They have a great feel and you
get used to fast they don't hurt your neck and you can do it manual or
put it on P and just shoot.
On the N55 P does not mean for idiot. There is a picture of a camera and
it's green. Not a flower or a mountain but a camera. And it's green not
silver like the letters and pictograms. Set it to then and when you try
to shoot something dark your flash pops up.
I had my N80 for a week before i found that button. What a gas!
Now THAT is fun. Who would have thought of that! Picture a bizarro Leica
M8 like that! (The horror) No really it's fun!!!!! Do we always have to
think? Why not point and shoot with your favorite damn lens du jour? 

Someday. Leica full time glass on the serious or point and shoot of your
choice with a monitor in back and your choice of chips or flim.

And this N55 fits in all those camera cases of mine where the regular
Leicas and Nikons don't. I have about 30. Sorry for bragging or
admitting I'm obsessive. It's nice to have a camera with you. Always
works better than the camera which is not.

I recommend dropping everything and going out and getting one
immediately. Mormon camera stores may be open. You'll have more fun than
a barrel of monkeys. 

Oh the lens is free. And comes off. And you can put it on other cameras.
And silver. I have not idea if it's any good but my hunch is it takes
pictures. The camera looks super cool with my Cosina/Nikkor Nikon 45mm
1:2.8P lens in Silver on it. You can get the lens in black now from B&H.
I think it cost more. You have to focal it yourself. Only 5 millimeters
is freedom from 50 i cant explain it. A touch of perspective and
intimacy never hurt anybody. And it transforms the camera into a minute*
thing which fits in pockets and intimidates no one.

Mark Rabiner
Portland, Oregon USA
http://www.rabinergroup.com

spelt the same way as minute.
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