Do you guys use a half case for leica?

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fbf

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I know this is a old topic but I have find myself stuck into a irony. I use half case to protect the delicate leica body for both personality and resell reason. However, i can't tell you how many times I had thought to throw the case away while changing film for a ongoing event. It drives me crazy. I think I may need a 3rd hand to do a better job.
How do you guys deal with it? Take your time and let the "moment" pass in front of you while changing film?
 
fbf said:
I know this is a old topic but I have find myself stuck into a irony. I use half case to protect the delicate leica body for both personality and resell reason. However, i can't tell you how many times I had thought to throw the case away while changing film for a ongoing event. It drives me crazy. I think I may need a 3rd hand to do a better job.
How do you guys deal with it? Take your time and let the "moment" pass in front of you while changing film?
Click to expand...

Which Leica do you have that's delicate? I've been using Leicas for almost 40 years and have never seen the point of half cases, for exactly the reasons you give. For me, a Leica is for taking pictures, not for personality or resale, and anything that gets in the way of taking pictures is a waste of time and money.

Throw it away.

Cheers,

Roger
 
A couple years ago I bought into the hype of the Luigi cases. It was really nice and pretty but after about two days I grew tired of taking it off to change film. Plus the camera just didn't feel right so I got rid of it.
 
I have used half cases only with camera bodies that had no strap lugs; and I feel the need of a third hand even when using cameras without half cases.
 
All Of The Above

All Of The Above

I "grew up" using a caseless M2. Learned to make sure I didn't smash it against something harder than it was. Once I dropped it and had to send it off to New Jersey to get the rangefinder re-cemented but the body wasn't hurt at all in the fall. And so on.

Recently, though, with a newer M2, I decided to get fancy and try a half-case. Looked cool. Suave, in fact.

But when I tried to load the camera I quickly decided the case was nicer looking than it was practical.

Anybody make me an offer?

dc3
 
I like my A&A half case on my MP. It offers a degree of protection and makes the camera nicer to grip. (I have the standard shark skin covering on the MP).

Taking the case on and off does not add much to the time taken to load film. I accept it as part of my Leica ritual. :)
 
antistatic said:
I like my A&A half case on my MP. It offers a degree of protection and makes the camera nicer to grip. (I have the standard shark skin covering on the MP).

Taking the case on and off does not add much to the time taken to load film. I accept it as part of my Leica ritual. :)
Click to expand...

Ritual?

Well, to each his own, but I use my Leicas to earn a living, not for ritual. If you only take the occasional picture, a half-case may be OK, but if you're actually shooting, it's a complete disaster.

Certainly I've photographed rituals, such as the Losar (New Year) ceremonies at dawn on the roof of Thekchen Choeling temple at 6000 feet in the Himalayas. At that point, piddling around with a half case with half-frozen fingers is something I could really do without.

Cheers,

Roger
 
I keep a Zough halfcase on my M3.Looks good and protects my investment.It's not a tool and I can't "write it off" so I must try to keep it as nice as I can.I have the "war wounds" not my gear............Robin
 
I don't do any rapid fire shooting (more of a casual shooter).

I use the bottom half of the black Leica never ready case on my M6 and a brown Luigi half-case on my IIIf. My hands are a little on the big side and I like the feel or tactile quality of the leather and the extra padding it provides.

- Ray
 
Roger Hicks said:
Ritual?

Well, to each his own, but I use my Leicas to earn a living, not for ritual. If you only take the occasional picture, a half-case may be OK, but if you're actually shooting, it's a complete disaster.

Certainly I've photographed rituals, such as the Losar (New Year) ceremonies at dawn on the roof of Thekchen Choeling temple at 6000 feet in the Himalayas. At that point, piddling around with a half case with half-frozen fingers is something I could really do without.

Cheers,

Roger
Click to expand...

You are completely correct Roger, I don't earn my living from my Leica and I suppose a roll or two a week on average constitutes the "occasional picture". And yes, you have to go out of your way to have frozen fingers in Australia so I have not had to load film with frost bite.

As far as "piddling around" goes, all it takes is...

1) Undo two press studs
2) Pull camera out
3) Load film
4) Reverse steps one and two :p

David
 
I use a half case on my Leica because I don't like my face to press against bare metal. The case is especially useful when it is really cold out.
 
antistatic said:
As far as "piddling around" goes, all it takes is...

1) Undo two press studs
2) Pull camera out
3) Load film
4) Reverse steps one and two :p

David
Click to expand...
Dear David,

At a guess, this sequence adds 5-10 seconds. When you're shooting 5-10 rolls in two or three hours, and reportage of a changing scene at that, it's a bit different from 1-2 rolls a week, shooting nothing of any great consequence.

The OP described his frustration at the time it took. Well, yes. Those of us who shoot a lot, don't have the time to use them. Those who don't shoot a lot, may decide they can afford the time. But piddling around for 5-10 seconds is still piddling around, when you could be shooting instead.

Cheers,

Roger
 
I find changing film on a Leica a lengthy PITA in any case, so for fast shooting I would definitely prefer a Zeiss Ikon ... I do use half cases with all my RF cameras, because I carry them around continuously, in and out of the car, etc, and the quantity of bangs they take is substantial . The case dampens them and delays the inevitable rf adjustment... On my M7 I use a Luigi half case with grip, which makes the handling much better, especially for the vertical shots.
 
I always have at least 2 cameras on a pro shoot..... as close as my bag. So, missing the moment because I'm out of film is seldom an issue. When I am shooting for pleasure I take the pressure off myself and enjoy the slower pace.

So......sometimes I use half cases and sometimes I don't.....just depends.

Ray
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear David,

At a guess, this sequence adds 5-10 seconds. When you're shooting 5-10 rolls in two or three hours, and reportage of a changing scene at that, it's a bit different from 1-2 rolls a week, shooting nothing of any great consequence.

The OP described his frustration at the time it took. Well, yes. Those of us who shoot a lot, don't have the time to use them. Those who don't shoot a lot, may decide they can afford the time. But piddling around for 5-10 seconds is still piddling around, when you could be shooting instead.

Cheers,

Roger
Click to expand...

Agreed. First of all, all the time I can save during a shoot is welcome; second, while I try to care about my cameras as they are my working tools, they are and look like users, not collectibles; so no need for pampering half cases for me :D

Roger, while I do agree with you completely on the half case thing, I would take exception of your comment that people who shoot amateur-like would be necessarily "shooting nothing of any great consequence" - I am sure it's of some consequence for them, and I do respect that they would consider pics of their kids and such of the greatest importance... :D

As well, it comes to mind that there are many serious shooters using mainly digital with film on the side, and they therefore might not need a real quick film change as we do; when film runs out, they keep shooting digital and do a film change when possible - I sometimes do that when shooting concerts, where I bring both digital (D3) and a couple of MPs loaded with Neopan 1600 - and while I still would never use a half case of sorts in such environments, maybe someone else would :rolleyes:
 
vieri said:
Roger, while I do agree with you completely on the half case thing, I would take exception of your comment that people who shoot amateur-like would be necessarily "shooting nothing of any great consequence" - I am sure it's of some consequence for them, and I do respect that they would consider pics of their kids and such of the greatest importance... :D
Click to expand...

Sorry, that was indeed badly phrased, and your point is very well taken; I apologize for giving the wrong impression. What I meant -- and it's hard to phrase -- is that it's often stuff where if they miss it, there will be something similar along later.

I was really thinking of the way I work. If I'm not shooting for a specific purpose -- money, to help a cause, to illustrate a book -- I find it much easier to shrug and not worry about missed pictures; I can shoot my local village any time, for example. But I'm shooting seriously, not just for amusement, I'm not going to waste time faffing about with anything that slows me down unnecessarily. 'Shooting seriously' would, I think, include shooting my children (if I had any).

In other words, I pretty much said it backwards. If I'm shooting anything of consequence (regardless of how you define 'of consequence'), I'll shoot it one way; if I'm shooting 'nothing of consequence' I'll shoot another way. Thus if I walk to the next village -- a couple of miles -- for the sake of the walk, I'll cheerfully take my Retina IIa in an ERC, even slower than a half-case. After all, I may take no pictures at all. But if I have several pictures in mind, and they are the reason for the walk, I want something I can use faster.

Cheers,

Roger
 
This is another one of those threads where there is no 'right' answer, only a range of preferences over which it senseless to argue as they are, by their very nature, individual, and therefore perfectly correct in themselves.

For me, half cases are fiddly and get in the way. But I like them and so I have one on my M6 and one on my IIIg. My M3 is naked.

When I am in a situation where continuous shooting is likely and therefore roll changes more frequent, I remove the case for ease and (slightly) quick film changes.
 
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