This week-end, I was at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, an event crawling with pro photographers. Several times, when I pulled my IIf out of my pocket, guys lugging Nikons with HUGE lenses or guys with tripod-mounted 'Blads on their sholders stopped to comment on what a great camera. One 'Blad toter offered to buy it on the spot. But of course, these guys are trained professionals with acute eyes for the unusual. I made a few new friends by letting them handle (fondle)the camera. By the way, I got some nice pictures, too.

-- John Fleetwood (johnfleetwood@hotmail.com), April 29, 2001

Answers

No doubt the screwmounts seem timeless, even for those loaded down with modern equipment. I think it's not just "style" but also the inherent simplicity. "One body, one lens, one film...". Though not my mainstream equipment, I still enjoy reverting to a screwmount when I want that simplicity in my pocket. And I still get comments from other people with an eye. The screwmount is a fun way to break out of the rut.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), April 29, 2001.

All of the above are attributes that keep me coming back to my 3F, although I'll admit that my M6,TTL is head and shoulders above it, especially in ease of use. However, the tactile sensation of handling a Barnack and its stealth factor are unmatched. Heck, I even enjoy loading it, no mean feat by to-day's standards. I couple mine with a Voigt' Nokton or Ultron,reserving the 35'cron for the M6 where it lives. I dislike using the Imarect and make do with the finder as is. Did I mention the great pictures I get with that combination?

-- Jean-David Borges (jdborges@home.com), April 29, 2001.

Last Sunday, I went to an annual event called the Bun Festival held on an island in Hong Kong. The event offers so much photo opportunities that it never fails to attract thousands of photographers. Just about every other photographer I saw carried one or more Leica with him or her. We, of course, smiled and sometimes nodded at each other in silent admiration of the unobtrusive red-spotted thing hanging on our chests! It was a truly glorious Leica-fest!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), May 02, 2001.

I'm glad to hear that Leicas are actually being used to make pictures in at least one part of the world. I used to travel extensively in North America and Europe. Being Leica oriented I can spot them from incredible distances. In 15 years I only saw three Leicas being used. 1) a IIIG by a very young and pretty woman in New Orleans, 2) an elderly II or III by an elderly German couple at the Matterhown, and 3) a M-3 in London, (which happened to be attached to Henri Cartier-Bresson, giving me the opportunity to follow the master around the city and spy on his amazing technique).

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), May 02, 2001.

Bill:

Please take some time, think about all the details of HCB at work that you can, and then post here with your dissertation. It will be much appreciated.

Thanks, in advance.

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), May 02, 2001.

I'd like to hear more about the pretty New Orleanian with the IIIg!

-- John Fleetwood (johnfleetwood@hotmail.com), May 02, 2001.

Bill, I think Dan has a great idea. Could you tell us more about what you witnessed by watching the great master?

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), May 02, 2001.

Bill! Don't keep us in suspense any longer!...........................................................

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), May 04, 2001.

In some environments it's hard to be inconspicuous. I was photographing birds in Central Park in Manhattan about a month ago with my Canon F-1N and a 400mm lens with a pistol grip around my neck. I took out my favorite little folding 1950's rangefinder to take a wider shot, and someone walks by saying (correctly), "Hey, that guy's using a Voigtlander Vitessa!"

-- David Goldfarb (dgoldfarb@barnard.edu), May 04, 2001.

I simply can't agree that a camera with such a notorious bright red spot on it could be called "inobtrusive" ! You can tell them from a mile away . . . I own a R4 with the red spot of course and I notice everybody looks at it when I happen to take it to may eye to click. The red spot is a real magnet for everybody's eyes. On the other hand I have noticed that people (maybe not everybody but many) don't look much concerned in front of my M3's which have nothing in them to make them specially notorious. Now, when somebody knows what such a camera is it certainly calls his/her attention. Yes it does!

-- Ivan Barrientos (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), May 12, 2001.

I don't think any Leica can be considered unobstrusive. Compare with SLR a IIf is small, but compare with a Minox GT-E or Tessina or a black Minox LX it is big.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 12, 2001.

He walked fast and always looking to his camera like setting it, then watched and reacted, moved fast and put the leica on his face, maybe a couple of shoots and that was it. he could stop and claim a wall or stairs to get a view. He always looked distracted, he was focus on every thing. He walked away from sigths. He looked pasionated.

-- Bill Mitchel (bmitch@home.com), May 13, 2001.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 13, 2001.

In WWII, there was a twin lens reflex Leica, it consists of a coupled waist level reflex finder attached to the hotshoe of Leica rangefinder, it was the quietest reflex camera at that time

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 13, 2001.

Unobstrusive Leica IIIf

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 13, 2001.

If I saw someone taking pictures with a Minox, I'd think he was up to no good!

-- John Fleetwood (johnfleetwood@hotmail.com), May 13, 2001.

John, not really.

President Eisenhower, Duke of Edinburgh, King of Spain, King of Demark, Jackie Kennedy, conductor Herbert von Karajan, Oscar actor Antony Hopkins, pop artist Any Warhol all use (used) Minox camera.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 13, 2001.

I thought Ike used a Stereo Realist?

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), May 13, 2001.

Bill, much as I love your recent crisp postings, the last but one ("he was pasionated") has me utterly baffled :-0.

What or whom are you referring to? Many thanks...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), May 14, 2001.

Oh I see now... It is a wonder I notice anything enough to photograph it...

I'm obviously the opposite of the great one-I look at everything and see nothing ;-)

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), May 14, 2001.

In 1951-1952, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was Supreme Allied Commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization. General Eisenhower loved to carry his chrome Minox camera. He was constantly surrounded by press photographers touting big Graflex camera. General Eisenhower some times took out his tiny Minox and shot back at the press photographers.

There was one picture of General Eisenhower holding his Minox camera with both hands at eye level and with an index finger on the shutter release, the title of that famous photo was "General Ike shot back !"

Judge from the year, General Eisenhower's Minox was a Minox III model. In 1953, General Eisenhower became the 34th President of The United States.

In same year, President Eisenhower was presented with a Gold Minox IIIs

This gold Minox IIIs is still in Dwight Eisenhower Museum

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 14, 2001.

Living in Europe I never felt that my Leica is obtrusive. It is nothing exotic, nobody cares if you have an old M3. They are still in use, though I suspect that many of them are kept imprisoned by notorious "collectors". Nobody ever made any comment about it in France, Italy, Germany or Greece, even if people noticed its presence. I believe only Leicaphiles look at each other, trying to guess if it's an M3 or M2 or which version of the M6!

On the other hand, I was asked on a recent trip to Boston why I did not use a digital camera...

-- George (gdgianni@aol.com), May 15, 2001.

So you were waiting for the HCB story by Bill, and felt so disapointed when you read it, I have some good news with my apologises attached, last post on May 13th, wasnīt Bill but mine; pretending guessing what I havenīt seen, I have apologise Bill already, and he told me he is actualy preparing that story, and he even has a picture of HCB on it, so I hope my apologise are acepted, and Billīs story comes up soon; before I get drunk again. Best of ligth to all.

-- Roberto Watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), May 15, 2001.

I didn't think that looked like Bill's grammar or spelling. What were you thinking of when you did this, Roberto?

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), May 15, 2001.

I thougth because of the dates that Bill were not going to give any answer, I was out of my mind for sure, and of couse willing to read his answer, I donīt know, a stupid thing, well hope at least have motivated Bill to tell the story. In my inner feelings HCB is a bit like that when photographing.

-- R Watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), May 16, 2001.