Got my a la Carte M7

[Fred]

Stephanie, the M7 still has two mechanical shutter speeds that work if the battery fails, 125th and 60th, the batteries are also very small. But I do understand what you mean. I've still got an old Pentax MX that I got new many years ago, paid more for it that it's better specified sister the electronic ME Super cos I wanted the mehcanical reliability. It's still going strong but its also no Leica. The aperture AE was the final decider for me to go for the M7.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Stuart, you must feel on top of the world... I would if I had a camera like that! 🙂

Congratulations! 😀

 

[former member]

Beautiful camera. And that beautiful girl does not look mad at you for buying it.

 

[chug]

Yeah.. How on earth did you manage it? Nice Camera btw 🙂 I keep thinking you'll need another one with some hot pink leather to match the blue one.. But maybe thats just me 😉

 

[Ben Z]

Just because I am spending more for aesthetics does not mean that I will spend more time looking at the camera than using it.

You inferred something that I did not imply. I was, as always, speaking strictly about my own reasons for my own choices.

But let's be honest with ourselves, if our concerns were 100% practical, we wouldn't be using Leicas at all, but Nikon F5's, Canon EOS-3s, 1v's, 20Ds and so on.

All of those cameras (possibly excepting the 20D) are larger and heavier than I care to lug around in my travels, they all make more noise with their mirrors flapping, their finders all grow dimmer as the light ebbs, they all become paperweights with the slightest electronic glitch, and none of them has a market of loyal fans who will pay top-dollar for them even when they are long discontinued. So from the criterion of practicality I wouldn't put them high on my short list.

I get defensive about combining utility and aesthetics

No need for defensiveness, at least not with me. I'm all for anyone being allowed to spend their money any way they want to.

Anyway, in the spirit of photography, here are some images that I scanned today that I took with that other impractical camera, the MP

Very nice shots! I always like to see someone doing outdoor shots proud with a Leica M, because it hammers home the foolishness of the oft-regurgitated myth that the M is not the "right tool" for that job.

 

[StuartR]

Thanks Ben,

I am sorry that I misinterpreted your comments. As for the practicality comments, I agree with you that rangefinders are great for the uses you mentioned, but I think I was thinking more in terms of a "photographic-bang for your buck" type situation. Thanks for the comments on the shots. I completely agree about the nonsense about Leicas being bad for landscape. They are in fact some of the best 35mm landscapes on account of their superior wide angles and the fact that you can actually comfortably bring one with you on a hike. I must admit though, that all those shots were taken within 100ft of the national highway in Iceland! Not many people there....

Brian -- that beautiful girl is actually my sister, but she was highly encouraging of the purchase. Her first choice was the green leather (which I also love), but she liked the blue as well.

 

[Chaser]

Anyhighway with that view is a highway to be on. Beats the crap out of I5.

 

[StuartR]

I'm sure. Here is a scan of it that I just made about 5 minutes ago. This is the highway as seen immediately after a bridge (almost all of the bridges are single lane). Might I remind everyone that this is the Highway 1, the main highway in Iceland. As soon as you get 45 minutes out of Reykjavik, people just disappear....or at least are something like one car every 5-20 minutes during the day.

 

[peter_n]

Great pics Stuart! Now I want to go to Iceland... 🙂

 

[agoglanian]

stuart, your m7 is astounding, i am so jealous!

so. are you trying to pick up all the female brooks students with your handsome camera? ( i know a good number of them 😉 )

congrats man, thats definately a keeper!

 

[Rainer Pawellek]

....ah iceland, the country of one of my fav photographers and he shoots....of course with the M system. check out Ragnar Axelsson if you don't know him yet here http://www.rax.is/Index.htm

 

[StuartR]

Thanks Rainer, I knew him already, but I did not know his website. I really love his photography as well. It was one of (the many) things that made me want to go there. They actually had a big display of his photos on the street in Reykjavik when i was there.