Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/21

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Re: HCB's shooting style
From: lrzeitlin at optonline.net (lrzeitlin@optonline.net)
Date: Tue Mar 21 15:03:55 2006
References: <200603212018.k2LKHlwq097029@server1.waverley.reid.org>


Sonny writes:

<<In a film I saw of him (HCB) at work, he had a way of sliding his? 
forefinger along 
the wind knob of the LTM camera he was using, and the flow was? so smooth 
that it might as well have been a motordrive.? Try it, you can? wind the 
camera 
for the next shot with one stroke of your forefinger.>>

HCB must have had thick calluses on his forefinger. I used to advance the 
film HCBs way with my LTM Leicas and wore the skin raw from the knurling on 
the winding knob. But in the waning days of the LTM models, I discovered a 
winding assist called the "Tech Rapid Advance Lever." This was a beautifully 
crafted investment casting that fitted over the knob. A curved finger 
cradling extension protruded out one side. It resembled a comma made of 
metal. You wound the film with a circular motion of your forefinger. After 
one revolution of the winding knob, your finger was positioned directly over 
the shutter button ready to take take the next picture. I could snap a pictur
e a second with ease.

The company that made this beautiful gadget was Tech Photo Products of 
Brooklyn, NY, now long out of business. Sherry Krauter has a drawer full of 
similar LTM winders but none nearly as nice. We tried to find a jewelry 
casting  company that would produce a similar winding lever, but, given the 
size of the market, the price would have been prohibitive.

Larry Z
?