Tom What the Heck am I doing Wrong

[Vincent.G]

Hi LV1

I understand your worries but let me share with you my story.

I have 3 children (all less 3 year old).
Bringing them out means I have a lot of things to bring along.
Occasionally I have to carry them in my arms when they are too tired.
All these done with my Leica hanging precariously from my shoulder. My camera knocks into various things: car doors, life doors, people on crowded streets, chairs etc...
and occasionally my children's head when I bend down to pick them up.

I took many memorable pictures of my children with my Leica as it was ALWAYS with Me.
To me, the photos are worth much more than the camera.

Cheers!

 

[alun severn]

It's very hard for people who aren't anxious to understand people who are, especially people who are habitually anxious, or whose anxiety about something -- such as cameras or other belongings -- is actually prompted by other extraneous (and possibly perfectly well-founded) fears....

That said, I do honestly think it is perfectly possible to use Leicas and use them hard without carelessly abusing or wilfully damaging them. They will eventually look used as opposed to pristine, but they won't look maltreated.

However, if none of that rationale calms your fears then perhaps it is better to sell them and buy or use cameras you don't feel over-protective about.

This is, perhaps, easy for me to say - I just completed the sale of every scrap of Leica equipment I own, precisely because I felt none of it was being used frequently enough or hard enough. That was what made me feel anxious -- naggingly, constantly anxious and guilty about the fact that I could feel my enthusiasm and motivation for taking pictures draining away, but had all this equipment....

Now I no longer own some of the best and most beautiful bodies and lenses ever made - and curiously it is a relief.

Only you know what will make you feel less anxious - but once you work out what it is, do it, whether it's selling them or using them. Good luck.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's very hard for people who aren't anxious to understand people who are, especially people who are habitually anxious, or whose anxiety about something -- such as cameras or other belongings -- is actually prompted by other extraneous (and possibly perfectly well-founded) fears....

That said, I do honestly think it is perfectly possible to use Leicas and use them hard without carelessly abusing or wilfully damaging them. They will eventually look used as opposed to pristine, but they won't look maltreated.

However, if none of that rationale calms your fears then perhaps it is better to sell them and buy or use cameras you don't feel over-protective about.

This is, perhaps, easy for me to say - I just completed the sale of every scrap of Leica equipment I own, precisely because I felt none of it was being used frequently enough or hard enough. That was what made me feel anxious -- naggingly, constantly anxious and guilty about the fact that I could feel my enthusiasm and motivation for taking pictures draining away, but had all this equipment....

Now I no longer own some of the best and most beautiful bodies and lenses ever made - and curiously it is a relief.

Only you know what will make you feel less anxious - but once you work out what it is, do it, whether it's selling them or using them. Good luck.

Highlight: exactly.. When I went grocery shopping today, I had my M9 with me. It bumped into a few things, quite gently. After using Leicas for 40+ years, I'm just used to having them around. If it worried me, I wouldn't do it. New ones are a little worrying for a while, but I know they'll turn into old ones eventually. Then again, I buy 'em to use, not to worship, keep mint, and then trade in. There are things I do worry about, but Leicas ain't one of 'em. At least, not excessively and all the time.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Ben Z]

I'm confused. Most everyone seems to be talking about bumps and nicks from a cosmetic standpoint, but when I re-read the OP's OP, it seems to me what he's worried about, based on his experience, are mechanical troubles (particularly the rangefinder) as a result of bumps.

My 2 M4's have plenty of dings and scrapes. Most of them were there when I bought them, so I really don't know how many I've put on myself, but I suspect not that many. It's not that I'm anal over the way my gear looks, obviously, or I wouldn't have bought dinged-up one's to start with. It's just that I tend to treat everything I own with some degree of deference. Things cost money, money represents labor and effort, and careless treatment leads to expensive repairs, not to mention the inconvenience of having to rely on backup equipment on an important trip.

I know how to adjust the rangefinder myself. I don't just mean the infinity eccentric wheel. I can and have done all the adjustments. I've done other DIY service to my Leica's over the years also, in fact I've got the tools to take off the top plate, and also an electronic shutter timer. I've tuned-up the shutter brake and adjusted the high-speed (1/1000) over the years on numerous M bodies. I've resurrected and re-calibrated MR4 meters as well. That said, the only need I've ever had to do it was the result of use, not abuse. And the only time I've had to send my Leicas for professional care was when something broke internally, not at all the result of any sort of vibration or impact. Back in the day, pros used Leicas in severe conditions like the jungles of Vietnam. If they were really that fragile, they would not have held up as well as they did.

Once an M camera is properly adjusted, it tends to stay that way unless it really takes a severe hit. So to the OP, if yours are now good, don't worry about a minor knock upsetting them. If it does, it means some or another component is faulty, or wasn't properly secured. All the adjustment points for the rangefinder are very tight (or at least should be) and take quite a bit of directed force to move.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'm confused. Most everyone seems to be talking about bumps and nicks from a cosmetic standpoint, but when I re-read the OP's OP, it seems to me what he's worried about, based on his experience, are mechanical troubles (particularly the rangefinder) as a result of bumps.

My 2 M4's have plenty of dings and scrapes. Most of them were there when I bought them, so I really don't know how many I've put on myself, but I suspect not that many. It's not that I'm anal over the way my gear looks, obviously, or I wouldn't have bought dinged-up one's to start with. It's just that I tend to treat everything I own with some degree of deference. Things cost money, money represents labor and effort, and careless treatment leads to expensive repairs, not to mention the inconvenience of having to rely on backup equipment on an important trip.

I know how to adjust the rangefinder myself. I don't just mean the infinity eccentric wheel. I can and have done all the adjustments. I've done other DIY service to my Leica's over the years also, in fact I've got the tools to take off the top plate, and also an electronic shutter timer. I've tuned-up the shutter brake and adjusted the high-speed (1/1000) over the years on numerous M bodies. I've resurrected and re-calibrated MR4 meters as well. That said, the only need I've ever had to do it was the result of use, not abuse. And the only time I've had to send my Leicas for professional care was when something broke internally, not at all the result of any sort of vibration or impact. Back in the day, pros used Leicas in severe conditions like the jungles of Vietnam. If they were really that fragile, they would not have held up as well as they did.

I read them as much the same. My cameras are bumped and battered, and work. If they were fragile, they'd not have survived the bumps and bangs...

Cheers,

R.