At 11:36 AM 7/20/2010, Allen Zak wrote:
>Experiences can differ, leading to conflicting views about the same
>item. In a studio setting, for example, where clean surfaces are
>available and time is not of the essence, M3s are fine. On location,
>amidst activity and movement, including ones own, it can be a
challenge
>to deal with small detachable parts, especially if there is an
>adrenalin overload situation, as well. Much, if not most of my
>photography, takes place under these conditions, so I prefer
simplicity
>wherever it can be found.
>
>The film loading problems to which you refer, I believe, were more
>typical of M42s and 6s than M4s.
>In any case, I never experiences a failure with an M4 film loading
>system, which I vastly preferred to my M2 and its traditional
removable
>spool. It required some attention to make sure the leader was not too
>long or short, but that took less time than juggling with removable
>spools, which could be fumbled. I dropped a few, fortunately not
>losing any. All the same, I much admire the Leica one-piece body as a
>model of strength and precision, despite the bottom film loading
method
>it requires.
Allan
I have owned three M4's, the worse pieces of junk I have ever owned.
Lubitel would have been embarrassed to have produced such a worthless
load of crap. I have never owned or even used an M4-2.
The M4 never-load system had such a lousy reputation in the field that
Leitz had to offer a service to retrofit the M2/M3 system for workng
pros.
The M4 system is ONLY good in a studio environment, where you can
devote the great amount of time necessary to ensure that it is loaded
properly In the field, the film tongue generally slips out of the
three-pronged devil unless you can stop the war long enough to pay
GREAT attention and take GREAT care in loading, and, even then, you
have to waste a half-dozen shots making certain the film is advancing.
You just do not have that problem with the M2/M3 system. (And pros
back then generally bought three or four extra take-up spools and
preloaded them on to film leaders to speed up the loading process.)
These experiences are hardly unique to me: we used to have some fine
discussions on this point on the old (pre-digital) LUG. Even Ted
Grant admitted the problems with loading the M6 unless a lot of
precision and care is used.
I shot a couple of weddings with an M3 and then upgraded to an M4.
The M4 promptly fell apart, so I ended up shooting it with a Leica
IIIc and got some superb pictures -- and had no problem loading it,
either!
Marc
