There are really a lot of things you can/ I could learn studying the posts on this site. Thanks here to the regular contributors who share their wealths of infos with the others.

My Q: What are the most useful hints you obtained from this webplace and which did effect your relation to the LEICA-camera and improved your photography most?

Thanks

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), February 12, 2002

Answers

That you could go blind if you sat for a couple of hours in front of the TV cranking a stuck focussing ring back and forth to loosen it up.

-- Peter Mackay (pm@novonordisk.com), February 12, 2002.

What lens to get next.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), February 12, 2002.

I learned that there is something called de-cementing -and that it is a bad thing.

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), February 12, 2002.

I learned that I can't possibly get good results with my "obsolete" previous generation lenses. I learned that all I need are the "vintage" lenses in my bag to get great results. I learned that long lenses on my M6 are a perfect match. I learned that you should never use anything longer than a 50mm lens on an M camera. I learned that I am a fool for not using flash on my M6. I learned that a flash should never be mounted on an M camera. I learned that Bokeh means nothing. I learned that Leica lenses have the best Bokeh. I learned that anyone using Japanese lenses (Nikon, Canon, etc...) couldn't possibly produce anything worth looking at. I learned that snobbish Leica shooters embrace Cosina (gasp, Japanese!) lenses. I learned that my Summicrons are too slow. I learned that the Tri- Elmar M is fast enough. I learned that Erwin Puts is a genius. I learned that Erwin Puts is a fool.

Seriously... go out and shoot film. Believe only the results you get. Only you know what lens you need. Only you can know if your lens is good enough. Always remember... after you have arrived at a logical conclusion for your own photography, there will always be more than one person willing to say you are wrong. Your on-film results always trumps the opinions of someone that never met you.

I still love this site. Before the internet, all of my conflict had to come from my own mind.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), February 12, 2002.

Start with one lens and a body and learn to use them thoroughly before considering another lens.

When you go Leica, shoot with the M exclusively until its operation is intuitive, then you will appreciate the beauty of its similicity, and proper focusing.

Shoot a lot of film and be your own worst (best) critic.

Shoot mostly B&W and get into the darkroom.

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), February 12, 2002.

I can add a few in Al's vein: Japanese lenses are just as good as Leica lenses. Any generation of Leica lens is superior to any other manufacturer's lens. The M camera is always better than any other camera. The M camera is largely hype. Leica R cameras are not the match of Canon or Nikon. Yes they are. There is such a thing as "rangefinder visualization". There is such a thing as "reflex visualization". UV filters are good for lenses: they are bad for lenses.

You can learn a lot, but it has to chime with your own experience and your preferences.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), February 12, 2002.

I learned there were others from my home planet that came to earth as infants, too. And now I finally have convinced my wife. ;>)

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), February 12, 2002.

By far the most useful tip I've come across is Martin Tai's reduction of the problem of focusing on an object and then placing it at the edge of the frame, thereby causing a focus error. His "f1 5.2m" tip to use the depth-of-field scale to make the correction is indispensable for wide-angle lenses, and worth a million "which lens?" threads.

The thread is "off center focusing" under "technique" http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=004sHD

-- Robin Barnsley (rb@jet.uk), February 12, 2002.

The worst advice I've seen needs translating into another language to reveal its absurdity:

Q: Any advice for person keen to play the violin?

A: The violin is without doubt the best instrument, being suitable for an enormous range of music, and having an almost infinte subtlety of tone and expression. Many of the world's greatest musicians have been drawn to it. However it is the most difficult instrument to play, and it will require years of dedicated practice before you stop annoying the neighbours and get a half-decent sound out of it. You must realise thet some of these instruments are hundreds of years old and cost a fortune to buy and repair. So the best advice is to go away and play the flute/trombone/bagpipes for a few years and then see if you're still interested in the violin.

-- Robin Barnsley (Oxford, England) (rb@jet.uk), February 12, 2002.

After shooting with a manual Nikon system that I loved (F2AS, 1000 lbs of lenses) for 25 years, I decided I wanted to try using a rangefinder system. The most annoying things about SLRs for me were the finder blackout, dark viewfinder in low light, dependence on a tripod (hate them), and heavy lenses (making it even more difficult to handhold). Before I bought anything, I spent time every day scouring libraries and the web to try and decide what to get in terms of a kit.

I happened on this web site, and after spending 3 months reading just about every post, I decided to get a Leica kit. My original choice had been one of the Bessas.

I used the incredible amount of information and advice, weighed strongly towards certain forum members whose opinions are more respected than others (we all know who they are) measured with my own personal experience and biases, to decide on an M6 Classic, a 35/2 latest non-asph, a 50/2 4th version, and latest 90 Elmarit.

Off to eBay, and exactly $2,765.00, including shipping, I own a near- mint Leica M kit.

After 3 months of use, I can confirm I made the right decisions for me, based in large part on what I selectively gleaned from this forum.

And after 20 years, thanks to this forum, I have started shooting B&W and developing my own negs.

So for all the valuable "LEICA-hints" - THANKS TO ALL!

And I still have, and love, all my Nikon gear! A good SLR is handy from time to time.

Hil

-- Hil (hegomez@agere.com), February 12, 2002.

That depending upon what you want to shoot, the absolute BEST lens to get is the 21asph, the 21SA, the 24asph, the 28asph, either 35asph, any 50 ever made, the 75, ALL 90's, and the 135TE or 135APO... AND the best body to get is an M2, M3, M4, M6 OR M6TTL, AND the best finder magnification is the .58, .72 OR .85., and that any of which should be combined with the 1.25x magnifier for versatility... Oh yeah, and I learned that chrome lenses weigh more than the black ones... Oh yeah, and Leicas work best with B&W film OR color film, OR color slide film.

;-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), February 12, 2002.

I learned where I could rent one, to try it for myself after six months of reading conflicting opinions about it.

-- Joel Benford (joel@joel-benford.co.uk), February 12, 2002.

Single best tip I got here has to have been someone's link to nemeng.com - where I learned to load a Leica-M with no muss and no fuss.

Second best was - "Shut up and go take pictures." - or variants... 8^)

...not that I always followed it

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), February 12, 2002.

I agree about the link to Andrew Nemeth's nemeng.com. What a great resource!

The other big hint? I am not alone in wanting to own more than two Leicas, so I should go ahead and make plans to buy another in the future.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), February 12, 2002.

Leica services is expensive, awesomely slow, usually good, but too often terrible.

Sherry or DAG are the places to go.

John Collier's maintenance tips and M knowledge in general.

Many entertaining rants from a very euridite and cosmopolitan group of people.

Ideas from the LUG, and other not yet ranted on here that I've noticed:

Other things being equal, a faster shutter speed with a wider aperture is better than vice versa, hand held. -- Ted Grant

Photography is an athletic event, stay in shape! -- Ted, again, and others on the LUG

You can't buy quality, you have to grow into it. -- Stewart Brand, from "The Whole Earth Catalog"

Skill in photography is acquired by practice, not purchase. -- Percy Harris

-- Tom Bryant (boffin@gis.net), February 12, 2002.

To enumerate a few more examples in Al-like oxymoronic vein: that we should all just quit talking and go shoot pictures. That this needs discussing. That aesthetics don't matter (the camera's only a tool). That aesthetics makes all the difference. That Leicas are perfect just the way they are. The blueprint for the ideal Leica (one that includes all the conradictory specifications mentioned above by Al and others). Briefly, that there are a pleasing number of similarly offbeat loonies out there who enjoy discussing such illuminating topics.

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), February 13, 2002.

I very learned a lot from everyone in this forum.

Thank you all!!!

Most valuable discussions (recent) for me were:

1. Regarding autowinders for the M. Might have saved my new M6 TTL from premature death.

2. About not disassembling the googles of the M3 35/3.5. I wish I'd read that before I disassembled and reassembled mine for cleaning. Now on my M3 and other Ms I get a double image at infinity. BUT-- guess what?! Now my M3 35/3.5 is a perfect match for my Hexar RF. It is the only lens that doesn't give my a double image at infinity. Go figure.

3. On Inter-brand M mount compatibility. Now I can cheerfully mix and match as I did before. The Konica 28/2.8 is a sweet lens and feels good on my M6 --- hmmmm.....

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@suma.kobe-wu.ac.jp), February 13, 2002.

I've learned more than I could ever mention from this site. It's helped me to build up a great M system and I've never once regretted following the advice I've read here.

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

Thanks for everyone´s reply. I have been away from my computer for some days, so this comes a bit late perhaps, please apologize.

What I did after reading the entries in this LEICA- discussion forum was to utilize several of my older lenses more. These were the 2.8 SUMMARON and the 75 mm SUMMILUX which I didn´t appreciate enough for years. With the LUX I got some terrific portraits under low light conditions lately and I will not put this lens aside again. I would not have tried using it once more if there wasn´t so much praise here on these sites.

One more thing I learned (besides many others): I started to take off the UV-filters from my lenses. They were there for years and I never thought about it. Now I attach them only when I shoot in rough circumstances. Suddenly I feel much closer to my photographic- motifs. Won´t fabulate about the condome thing at this point ...

There is a lot more to say: which lens to get next, or better, which lens not to get next. Thanks to Andrew Schank for pointing to the 40 mm ROKKOR lens here, great little investment for a very handy piece.

Good shooting

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), February 18, 2002.

While we are on a roll! How about black paint cameras make better pictures than do chrome or black chrome ones. And it can do this without being seen.

Regards :-(

-- Alan Purves (lpurves@mnsi.net), February 18, 2002.