[Leica] Re: Ergonomic shortfalls

[bd at bdcolenphoto.com (B. D. Colen)]

This post has to be a parody; there is no other explanation. For literally
years now we've been hearing that if Leica ever produces a digital M it had
damn well better be a clone of a film M with electronics stuffed into it.
Well, from the looks of things, Leica has come as close as is physically
possible to doing just that. So what do we get here? Whining that, in
effect, the camera has the 'faults' of an M. Well DUH! You asked for a
digital M - and you got a digital M!

Of course the post below may well cause chills to run down Leica's
collective executive spine, because it sounds like the kind of idiocy that
killed the M5, the one really innovative camera Leica produced between the O
and the DMR - a half-camera.


On 9/13/06 7:30 PM, "Lawrence Zeitlin" <lrzeitlin@optonline.net> wrote:

> 
> On Sep 13, 2006, at 4:08 PM, Alan wrote:
> 
>> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
>> ,
>>> 3. Do I want to put up with many of the ergonomic shortfalls inherent
>>>   in the Leica's 50 year old design?
>> 
>>> Larry Z
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> --------
>> 
>> I'm not in line; have the cameras I want. I use older Leica M's (and a
>> IIIf) more for the bodies than the lenses; I find the ergonomics of M
>> Leicas very nice.  Never lusted after another camera once I got my M3.
>> (Well, maybe my '59 Rolleiflex).
> 
> Ergonomic shortfalls:
> 
> 1. Film loading - do I have to say more?
> 2. Viewfinder location - Looking at the camera from the back, the
> left hand location of the viewfinder means that to use the right eye
> the camera has to be held unsupported on the right side of the face.
> This promotes camera shake. This was acceptable with the M3 since
> the .92 rangefinder permitted the photographer to keep the left eye
> open. With the lesser magnification of succeeding models this
> advantage disappeared. Those fortunate enough to be left eyed can
> brace the camera against the face to achieve added support at the
> cost of getting nose oil over the backside Vulcanite.
> 3. Off center tripod mount - a never ending frustration for tripod
> users.
> 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.
> 5. Tiny controls - The small knobs and dials are impossible to
> operate with gloves. As for mittens, fuggedaboudit.
> 
>  From a ergonomic point of view, the CL was the best Leica made. Even
> though the viewfinder was still on the side, the camera body is short
> enough so that the overhang is tolerable. The tripod socket is center
> mounted and the flash contact is in the hot shoe where God meant it
> to be. The back removes for easy film loading. This has the added
> advantage that the camera does not have to be partly disassembled to
> remove a film chip. There are some ergonomic problems with the CL of
> course. The meter turns on only when the winding lever is extended.
> For a left eyed photographer this puts the extended winding lever
> directly into his right eyeball. Even Leica recognized this problem
> after the camera was released and would fix the camera at no charge
> so the meter was always on. The downside was a shorter battery life.
> 
> None of these ergonomic deficiencies matters a whit to photographic
> quality but they do make the camera harder to use. The biggest
> ergonomic problem, the needle threading film loading procedure is a
> moot point with the M8 but most of the other problems will still be
> there. Most of the design compromises on the older camera were
> mandated by the internal arrangement of the mechanical components,
> mandates which are no longer necessary in this electronic age. 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.
> 
> Larry Z
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information