Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/10/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Herbert I think that some perspective is needed on the risks that you mention. On theft, it is of course entirely what you feel comfortable with. Yet I'm not convinced that a thief will look to identify the brand and quality of a visible camera before deciding whether to rob you. I don't think that the practice of covering your Red Dot makes any difference either, except for the owners .Situational awareness is important certainly. On Nathan's M8, that was one of a tiny handful of reports that I am aware of, there being tens of thousands of thousands of M8 cameras in circulation (and some four times as many M9 cameras). All electronics can be vulnerable to corrosion of course. At the opposite end of that bell curve reside incidents like that Tina experienced when two M8 cameras were immersed (along with Tina!) in a muddy flooded stream.. Those worked without fault after drying out. We know that Tina did also ;-) Very happily for Nathan, his camera was repaired for free under the provisions of what is effectively insurance by the distributor rather than a guarantee covering manufacturing faults. Many markets don't have that option though. Nevertheless splash-proofing has become a promoted and asked for feature in cameras w?th 'serious' aspirations. The big two are there, Pentax and Olympus have large parts of their campaigns dedicated to this as well. For Leica Camera the S2 was designed this way from the ground up and the new M, while looking near identical in shape has actually quite different body construction to that of the M9. Those O rings are in there now. Interestingly their engineers have commented that the M lenses require no redesign for the same utility in that the tolerances are very fine and the oil effectively prevents moisture ingress. They consider the O ring on lens mount approach as likely to compromise the precision of the lens register unacceptably though. Entirely one personal approach to all of this. My M9 and some lenses go everywhere with me in what is now a fairly battered Domke satchel. I exercise normal caution when travelling. I don't go places where I feel my personal safety is at higher than normal risk. Why would I? I'm not paid to report from crime-ridden ghettos or war-zones ;-) Typically if someone does look at my camera when I am shooting they think of a funny old fashioned 'grandfather'camera or a very few are fellow Leica shooters If you are shooting, your profile is much more about how you work at it and where rather than whether your camera is valuable. If it rains a little on my gear when I want to shoot in that situation I wipe the camera gear off after. If it rains a lot I will be inside admiring the rain through the window ;-) Cheers, Geoff http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman On 3 October 2012 06:30, <grduprey at mchsi.com> wrote: > Mine gets used in all weather type, and gets wet and never even a minor > failure. Went through the Niagra Falls boat ride with not even a sneeze. > > Gene > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Herbert Kanner" <kanner at acm.org> > To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> > Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 12:34:30 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central > Subject: Re: [Leica] Urban Oasis > > Thanks, Tina and Sonny for the advice. Re weather, I sometimes wonder > about Leica's engineering talent. What spooked me about weather was > Nathan's story of his M getting fried when sweat ran down his thumb, around > the shutter release button, and down to the circuit board. Luckily, the M > was still under warrantee. > > What frosted me was: hadn't Leica engineers ever heard of O-rings? My > recollection is (I worked on the Manhattan Project, Chicago Area from 1942 > to 1946) that prior to 1945, when we wanted to manipulate something within > a vacuum chamber, we had to machine a thing called a "Wilson Seal". Then, > around 1945, O-rings made their appearance and life got simpler. > > (Pardon the biographical bit--symptom of doddering old age. One of these > days, you'll probably see me rave about approximately thirty years of > flying and horse-back riding.) > > Herb > > Herbert Kanner > kanner at acm.org > 650-326-8204 > > Question authority and the authorities will question you. > > > > > On Oct 2, 2012, at 5:57 AM, Tina Manley wrote: > > > Also, most thieves intent on stealing a camera would go for a huge, > > expensive looking DSLR. Nobody knows that Leica cost $7000. It looks > like > > an old, small film camera. If you are worried about the weather, it is a > > lot more durable than you think! I carry mine everywhere. Just got back > > from feeding the chickens in the rain, with my MM hanging from my > shoulder. > > > > Tina > > > > PS: Love the Oasis! > > > > On Tue, Oct 2, 2012 at 8:45 AM, Sonny Carter <sonc.hegr at gmail.com> > wrote: > > > >> On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 9:12 PM, Herbert Kanner <kanner at acm.org> > >> wrote: > >> > >>> I'm still trying to discipline myself to take the Leica whenever I > leave > >>> home. Unfortunately, I'm inhibited when I think about the $7K it cost > >>> > >> > >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/herbk1/L1002484.jpg.html > >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/herbk1/L1002480.jpg.html > >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/herbk1/L1002474.jpg.html > >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/herbk1/L1002473.jpg.html > >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/herbk1/L1002467.jpg.html > >> > >> I like the walk-around. > >> > >> I don't know what to say to you about worrying about inhibitions with > the > >> 7K camera, except to say that there are very few camera thieves these > day > >> because pawn shops just don't buy cameras much anymore. > >> > >> Since there are no real camera shops in most places; (You know, stores > that > >> sell more than two emulsions of film and have a full Used Camera > counter.) > >> the market for stolen photo goods barely exists. > >> > >> What's left to fear is pilot error including clumsiness and > forgetfulness. > >> Insurance can mitigate these. > >> > >> The main thing is to just do it! Carry the camera all the time so it > >> becomes a part of you. > >> > >> You NEVER know when a picture will jump out in front of you! > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Regards, > >> > >> Sonny > >> http://sonc.com/look/ > >> Natchitoches, Louisiana > >> > >> USA > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Leica Users Group. > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > >> > > > > > > -- > > Tina Manley, ASMP > > www.tinamanley.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >