Thanks Mare; enjoyed reading about the Leitz family around the War years. No-one has to tell me about the Leica camera. I had one as a guift. I had to buy books on how to use it however. The instructions were in German. Once I got the hang of it though, I aquireed the extras. Wide and telephoto lenses, lens hoods, filters , flash unit, tripod, projecture and whatever. As good a photo you get on digitals, I would match the ones I got with my Leica with any I take now.
When my wife and I were at Niagra Falls, we went down to see the Falls at night. I set up on the tripod and took several shots at different time lengths. As people passed behind me, I could hear them say the likes of;"Look at the dummy taking pictures without a flash". I told Flo that when they get their pictures back, they will have beautiful pictures of ------darkness. When we got ours developed, I couldn't believe my eyes. Those were the best I have ever taken. It wasn't water flowing over the Falls, but rivers of colored ice cream. That's the best way I have ever been able to describe it.
Alas!!! I had saved that equipment for all these years, suffering with so so photos, but enjoying the instant everything that comes with them. Now with the digitals, I can get great pictures and still be able to enjoy what every-one else is seeing.
A few years back, I took the my Leica and it's bells & whistles to same camera shop on Woodward, where I purchased most of the stuff, and asked how much he would give me towards a self focusing one. He looked over everything and without a speck of guilt on his face, said; "I'll give you $30 for the works. After I recovered, I told him I would give it away before I would let him steal it. And that's just what I did. I gave it to a friend who loved doing it the hard way.
Many times I have questioned myself on letting it go, but then I think back on the countless times I spent on setting up and missed what was there first hand.
Thanks also to Kitty.
Now I know the Leitz family was as good as their camera
chucktoo