Are Leica photographers the last of the true American 'hot-rodders?' (regardless of nationality?)

Is there all that much difference between LUTZ KONERMANN'S cherry picture-taking machine, with its Abrahamson winder and L.K. fingerstrap and focus tab made from a plastic tie, and the kid down the street's 1955 Chevy with a Holley carburetor and Crager wheels, and a plastic tie holding the tailpipe on?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), September 03, 2001

Answers

Lutz gives his stuff away.

Hod rods are expensive. Pardon my ignorance, but does anyone hod-rod anymore?

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), September 03, 2001.

"but does anyone hod-rod anymore?"

Good lord, you really don't spend much time around 16-25 year old guys do you? Or even that much time in front of a magazine rack? Next time you are at a decent sized news-stand, count the number of hot rod magazines there are. It's just that today, the only people who can afford to trick out a 55 chevy are the middle age people who wanted one when they were young. Now everyone is tricking out late 80's/ early 90's Japanese imports.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), September 03, 2001.

Well, I bought Tom Anderson's $10 soft-release for my .58TTL. That has to be the cheapest hot-rodding you can get - it's really good. Anyone who hasn't got one for their M is missing out.

-- Peter Mackay (pm@novonordisk.com), September 03, 2001.

My Leica 'hot-rodding' consists of installing the complete M4P rangefinder on both my M2s, also installed the lens release guard on both of them. Am still debating with myself if I want to install the M4 rapid load.

-- Steve LeHuray (icommag@toad.net), September 03, 2001.

I customize all my cameras because doing so personalizes their "feel" for me. Here are the accessories I use on my M: (1) since I don't use flash, I've covered the hot shoe with a Minox 35ML black, plastic insert; (2) I fashioned a soft release from an old soft release of the Nikon-type--it's more cylindrical and sits higher on the shutter release, very similar to the old Nikon AR-1 soft-shutter releases. I sanded it, primed it, and spray-painted it flat black. I tried the Abrahamsson, but it's too convex and sits too low for me; the one I customized is ever-so-slightly concave so the pad of my fingertip fits perfectly in the recess and it extends upward about 18mm; (3) I've covered all the visible Leica markings with black photographic tape; and (4) I have a black, rubber eyecup for keeping stray light out of the viewfinder. Of all these customized accessories, I find this latter one to be the most indispensable. (I just ordered one of Lutz Konermann's "Slings" and will see if it fits my shooting style (how can you miss trying it at his prices. . .).)

-- Cosmo Genovese (cosmo@rome.com), September 03, 2001.

EYECUP! Whose eyecup fit?? Leica doesn't make one, right?

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 03, 2001.

No, Leica doesn't make it. But, back in the 80's, after I bought my first M6, I missed having an eyecup since I've always outfitted all my other cameras with them. There was a late 40s, early 50s, German- made MOVIE camera (no longer made in the 80s, as I remember) whose eyecups exactly fit the Leica M6 viewfinder (I use the one I have with a Leica-made diopter). I bought 4 of them back then. Maybe some more knowledgeable Leicaphile can put a name on the German movie camera; I just don't remember it. Besides keeping out extraneous light, they're really cool, too.

-- Cosmo Genovese (cosmo@rome.com), September 03, 2001.

Braun Nizo...?! (BTW thanx 4 the honey!:o)

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), September 03, 2001.

If you want to see some real hot rods, go here.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), September 03, 2001.

Yeah saw a bunch last night at Hollywood Billiards, bunch a rockabillies and their sleds were out for a showdown. And for those who must absolutely have the newest thing, every 3 months or so one of those rice burners goes down here in San Diego, taking 2 or 3 teenagers with it. Speed and youth, it's a killing combination. BTW, I wouldn't equate a fine product such as Leica with the Heartbreak of America...:)

-- Dave Doyle (soilsouth@home.com), September 03, 2001.

Apologies to old hands who've seen this link before, but a while back I had a Nikon F2 converted so that it mounts Leica R series lenses:

nemeng.com/ equipment/f2ar.html

What surprises me though is just how much I use the camera. The true mirror lock up (and so not having to pre-release for every shot) is particularly handy. OTOH, having to manually open up the aperture, focus, then close down to working aperture does slow you down though.

-- Andrew Nemeth (azn@nemeng.com), September 03, 2001.