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Re: [OM] My First Real Camera, Leica IIIa

Subject: Re: [OM] My First Real Camera, Leica IIIa
From: Wayne Shumaker <om3ti@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2021 08:54:29 -0700
At 1/28/2021 07:16 PM, AG Schnozz wrote:
>I will admit to not being overly pleased with the viewfinder situation
>with the Leica III series, but I am quite enamoured with the M series.
>Generally speaking, however, I don't like rangefinder cameras and
>prefer the much more WYSIWYG viewfinder of an SLR.
>
>There are advantages to the rangefinder, but I think the primary
>benefit of a Leica is not the rangefinder viewfinder, but the tabbed
>focus ring. By feel, you can instantly move the focus point to a
>muscle-memory position and be very close to the ideal focus point and
>then use the rangefinder focus aid to tweak focus. A best of both
>worlds, to me, would be an SLR with the tabbed focus rings of the
>Leica M series lenses.
>
>Although, at this point, I'm enjoying AF+MF of modern cameras. I let
>the auto focus get me in the neighborhood and then I just tweak from
>there.

My first "real" camera was a Nikon Nikormat. I unfortunately traded it on an 
upgrade to a worse Nikon camera, with the new auto exposure. But if felt like 
shooting a flint lock rifle compared to the Nikormat. So sloowww. I never gave 
myself the luxury of replacing it for the OM-2 at the time and my photography 
took a back burner for many years until the OM-4 years later.

I briefly tried a Leica M6 at the time I was also using the OM-4t. I was 
testing shutter accuracy at the time with my home made detector. (ebay snags 
were suspect and many thanks to John Hermanson).

I was surprised that the Leica shutter was way off on a brand new camera. More 
than 50% variation across the frame at 1/1000 compared to < 20% on OM4 at 
1/2000. I later assumed most people shot around 1/60 and hence never noticed. I 
returned the camera the next day and never looked back. The shop said I could 
get it serviced. Servicing a brand new camera seemed ridiculous. As cameras go, 
the OM-4t was, to me, a so much better camera mechanically and usability. Leica 
never impressed me.

mileage varied WayneS
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