[Leica] Multiple Bodies

[lambroving at worldnet.att.net (William G. Lamb, III)]

Craig,

I'll send you a link off-line. Not much interested in a critique from this 
mob.

Have a few friends who have the Tri-Elmar who bought it for travel. One 
can't take the distortion at 28mm and another can't take the 50mm 
rendition. Several have had problems with both versions dismantling itself. 
Maybe you just got a "good one"? :-)

  I'd love to have your 35/1.4 ASPH because I like what it does, but since 
35mm is my "normal lens", I prefer not having the v/f frame blocked by the 
hood. A 35/2 ASPH with a 12504 hood is just less irritating.

Haven't used B&W since the mid-eighties, so the color from the Leica lenses 
is important to me. Clients who see my snaps always ask, "What camera took 
THESE?". Never fails.

My "grab and run combo" is the MP .58 with the 35/2 ASPH in a small pouch. 
That's definitely a compact rig. Also have a 50/2.8-M current which I could 
pop on the M7 if the light were good and I were in a wide-open city like 
Paris, but that little lens just does not quite give me the image quality 
I'm after lately. These days, I think I'd rather take the M5 with the 
50/1.4 ASPH, not too much larger, and it still fits in the inside pocket of 
my lightweight Barbour jacket.

Best,

William

At 01:53 PM 03/03/2005 -0800, you wrote:
>Hey William,
>
>Sounds like you got some great stuff! Love to see your best ones, if you 
>get the chance to post. I may have been too flippant about the Tri-Elmar. 
>I also have a 35 Summilux ASPH and 50 Summilux that get their fair share 
>of work, but, for walking around in LA (a place that has lots of sun, or 
>at least it did when I bought the Tri-Elmar) it's fantastic. I've had zero 
>problems with mechanically. And, I'm not sure where you're getting the 
>information that it can't live in the same room with the primes, but I'd 
>have to respectfully disagree, at least on the 35 and 50 lengths. Having 
>said that, I do keep the 35 summilux in the pocket for when it gets too 
>dark. I agree it is big and slow, but I use Tri-X almost exclusively and 
>if I'm just going out without the intent to shoot but still want to bring 
>my camera I will put on a collapsible summicron for size.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Craig