hepcat
Former PH, USN
Ok, so I've said many times I've shot Leica M rangefinders off and on for forty years... I don't have to look at an M body to do anything... it's all muscle memory by now...
So, EVERY time I take the baseplate off my M8 or M9P, I try to put it on the wrong way... I put the plate on with the latch on the wrong side of the camera. It's not a big deal of course, but it's exasperating to do it EVERY time. And I NEVER do that with my M4-P. Hmmm... So.. I've had the digi Ms now for a year and a half... and I'm down working in my studio... doing a battery reset; a drain and recharge on my digi M batteries. And I tried to put the M8 baseplate on backwards... again.
So, it finally occurs to me that there must be a reason that I'm doing that... and I pull my M4-P out of the bag... and voila... the digi-M baseplate IS BACKWARDS!!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
Ok, so I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed... I just had to share this. LMAO!!!
release latch location by chief1120, on Flickr
So, EVERY time I take the baseplate off my M8 or M9P, I try to put it on the wrong way... I put the plate on with the latch on the wrong side of the camera. It's not a big deal of course, but it's exasperating to do it EVERY time. And I NEVER do that with my M4-P. Hmmm... So.. I've had the digi Ms now for a year and a half... and I'm down working in my studio... doing a battery reset; a drain and recharge on my digi M batteries. And I tried to put the M8 baseplate on backwards... again.
So, it finally occurs to me that there must be a reason that I'm doing that... and I pull my M4-P out of the bag... and voila... the digi-M baseplate IS BACKWARDS!!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
Ok, so I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed... I just had to share this. LMAO!!!
release latch location by chief1120, on Flickr
MCTuomey
Veteran
Great post - and I'm there too!
Godfrey
somewhat colored
That's funny, Roger. 
G
G
Richard G
Veteran
My God, that must explain it. I'm doing it all the time still and I've only had two rolls of film through a film M this year. More than two years with the M9. So much for the benefits of muscle memory.
burancap
Veteran
This is great! I never noticed!
mothertrucker
Well-known
Guess you better switch to an M5!
icebear
Veteran
But you haven't tried to load Tri-X in your M9, have you ?
Richard G
Veteran
But you haven't tried to load Tri-X in your M9, have you ?
That'd be OK. Checking for a memory card in the M2 would be a bit of a let down.
angelog
formerly agianelo
I remember reading Roger's review where he remarked about this and the wrong way shutter dial. How dare they! At least Epson retained the film crank lever.
Ronald M
Veteran
I still have trouble occasionally. It is like trying to eat left handed.
cosmonaut
Well-known
Funny Roger. I guess it's like that one M that has the backward shutter dial?
hepcat
Former PH, USN
Thanks, everyone. I just had to share my "duh" moment...
Thank you Richard, you saved my sanity. I had feared I was the ONLY one with this malady!!! <grin>
I just nearly pulled the bottom off my loaded (with a half-shot roll) M4-P to pull the battery out and charge it... *sigh* It's now safely back in the bag so I don't do it...
EXACTLY!!! That's it EXACTLY! Great analogy! <grin>
And somehow, I STILL feel foolish admitting this...
Thank you Richard, you saved my sanity. I had feared I was the ONLY one with this malady!!! <grin>
But you haven't tried to load Tri-X in your M9, have you ?
I just nearly pulled the bottom off my loaded (with a half-shot roll) M4-P to pull the battery out and charge it... *sigh* It's now safely back in the bag so I don't do it...
EXACTLY!!! That's it EXACTLY! Great analogy! <grin>
And somehow, I STILL feel foolish admitting this...
Ansel
Well-known
Godfrey
somewhat colored
'Tis all right. I pulled out the Hasselblad the other day and went nuts trying to remember why the shutter would not release. Oh yeah, pull out the dark slide. Doh!
G
robbeiflex
Well-known
Seriously? That explains that weird sensation of "something is not right" when I load the battery and memory card in my ME. Here I thought it was something to do with the media, but as they say in the real estate business it's "location, location, location".
Thanks,
Rob
Thanks,
Rob
Kwesi
Well-known
...So, it finally occurs to me that there must be a reason that I'm doing that... and I pull my M4-P out of the bag... and voila... the digi-M baseplate IS BACKWARDS!!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
Ok, so I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed... I just had to share this. LMAO!!!
release latch location by chief1120, on Flickr
Very funny! You got me thinking though, so I pulled out my M7 and M9 and there actually is a very Leica logic to it. It's not backwards at all! In each case the latch goes over the "film" container.
dblrifle
Member
Digital baseplate
Digital baseplate
You mean for all these years you have been using Leicas and just this moment realize they have been putting the baseplates on incorrectly for all those years. I started using a Leica in 1956 and have used them constantly ever since and when I got my M8's a couple of years ago the very first thing I said was 'well they finally got the baseplates on the right way'. For some reason I seem to be gifted to adapt to different ways of doing things. For example I rarely search for the dimmer switch on the floorboard of my car. I have a Hyundai Veloster Turbo and the transmission shift lever is far different from any I have ever used but for some reason I seem to have adapted to it. Can't say I have the hang of paddle shifters as yet though. The gas fill is on the proper side though (the drivers) and not the other side as my Dodge has.This actually causes me to have to pay attention when I am pulling in to the pump to fill up. As I say I suppose I'm just gifted.
Digital baseplate
You mean for all these years you have been using Leicas and just this moment realize they have been putting the baseplates on incorrectly for all those years. I started using a Leica in 1956 and have used them constantly ever since and when I got my M8's a couple of years ago the very first thing I said was 'well they finally got the baseplates on the right way'. For some reason I seem to be gifted to adapt to different ways of doing things. For example I rarely search for the dimmer switch on the floorboard of my car. I have a Hyundai Veloster Turbo and the transmission shift lever is far different from any I have ever used but for some reason I seem to have adapted to it. Can't say I have the hang of paddle shifters as yet though. The gas fill is on the proper side though (the drivers) and not the other side as my Dodge has.This actually causes me to have to pay attention when I am pulling in to the pump to fill up. As I say I suppose I'm just gifted.
hepcat
Former PH, USN
Really? Yeah... as I said, it' s a "duh" moment. <grin>
So, you're saying that ALL of the film Leicas are backwards, and they're just now fixing it with the digitals? What brand did it "right" first?
Pioneer
Veteran
That's it...I have had it with this!
Back to the Leica II!
Back to the Leica II!
hepcat
Former PH, USN
'Tis all right. I pulled out the Hasselblad the other day and went nuts trying to remember why the shutter would not release. Oh yeah, pull out the dark slide. Doh!
G
Yes, Godfrey, I've never done that... too. :bang:
Rob, I'm SO glad there's others out there like me... thanks for sharing! Ha ha ha!!!
Very funny! You got me thinking though, so I pulled out my M7 and M9 and there actually is a very Leica logic to it. It's not backwards at all! In each case the latch goes over the "film" container.
Hey, that makes as much sense as any other part of this!