Re: [Leica] M6 all the way or Keep my R system?

[Peterson_Art@hq.navsea.navy.mil]

     Gabe asked: "Any thoughts on...completely switch[ing] over to only M 
     stuff?"
     
     As a user over many years of various rangefinder and SLR cameras, I've 
     rarely experienced the "bit of a haul" you described, simply because I 
     could afford few extra lenses.  But recently the moderate telephoto 
     zoom and wide angle lenses for my Nikon FM have seemed inconvenient to 
     lug around (no pun intended), and so I switched to the Leica M system.
     
     You mentioned that you "love looking...through the lens," and clearly 
     an SLR has its advantages.  But for me, selling the Nikon equipment is 
     part of what made the Leica financially possible.  And it's a question 
     of what kind of pictures I like to take; I have no regrets, especially 
     since I've never done much macro photography, and those long telephoto 
     shots that SLRs specialize in would require hauling around lenses even 
     more inconvenient than the ones I already had.
     
     In that sense, for me, the known advantages of SLRs have always been 
     somewhat illusory.  That is to say, I could always imagine what great 
     photos I might take with them, but the only great photos you really 
     have a chance of taking are the ones you have the equipment for.  You 
     can't take a picture if you didn't bring the camera or the right lens, 
     and that was always the problem with SLRs for me.  On the other hand, 
     a Leica M with 35mm lens (or even more, a Leica CL with its 40mm lens)
     can slip into a coat pocket, while a 90mm lens can go in another, and 
     basically that's all I really need.
     
     You, however, already have both the Leica M and R camera systems, and 
     so unless you need to sell off the R4S for some ulterior reason (e.g., 
     money), I'd suggest keeping both, even if, like me, you prefer to use 
     the rangefinder camera.  Since your 90mm and 135mm R lenses imply that 
     you like telephoto shots, the only change I'd suggest would be to add 
     a 90mm lens to your M system (or trade the 90mm R for a 90mm M lens).  
     But if your thought was to sell off the R system in order to purchase 
     a bunch of M lenses (i.e., not only a 90mm, but also things like 21mm, 
     24mm, 28mm, 135mm, and maybe even the 75mm Summilux or 50mm Noctilux), 
     I would add a word of caution: an M system grown huge could become a 
     "bit of a haul" too!
     
     Anyway, "food for thought."  Hope it helps.
     
     Art Peterson