Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/09/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I usually just lurk here, and been reading more because of the upcoming M8, but let me answer this: On 9/13/06, Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin@optonline.net> wrote: > 1. Film loading - do I have to say more? With practice it is easy to change film. It takes me about 15 seconds to do so, 20 if I'm walking. Place camera in right hand, new roll in left hand. Open bottom, let it hang from wrist strap. Let old roll fall in left hand, put it in pocket, insert new roll. Place finger on the guide for the sprocket holes, advance and fire twice. Close bottom, advance and fire once, advance for the first frame. Easier than a Canonet :) > 2. Viewfinder location [...] I'm left eyed. But in any case, the vf location maximizes the rangefinder length, no? > 3. Off center tripod mount - a never ending frustration for tripod > users. Tripod? I always thought that hole was a wrist strap mount. Perfect location for that, btw. :) > 4. Rear flash contact - most civilized cameras have the flash contact > on the front. Leica flash users risk jabbing an eye with a protruding > flash plug. I agree with this. I would move the flash contact out of the camera, though. > 5. Tiny controls - The small knobs and dials are impossible to > operate with gloves. As for mittens, fuggedaboudit. I give that one to you, although I like the controls in the M3/M4/M6 non ttl as they are. [...] > Leica > could have taken the opportunity to refresh the 50 year old design of > the M series - but then it wouldn't be a Leica, would it. That's right. It would be a Canon or something. The Leica is supposed to be a walk around camera, its ergonomics designed to disappear while you're taking pictures on Tri-X, or now, luckily, in 10MP raw files. There are already several cameras that do everything you mention here. Why break a classic design? j -- Juan Buhler Check out my book: http://www.jbuhler.com/book.html Water Molotov: http://photoblog.jbuhler.com Slippery Slope: http://color.jbuhler.com