On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 21:30:25 -0500, "Steve Wolverton"
wrote:

>Got over confident and bought an M6 so I could be a "real" photographer.
>
>I shot two rolls. Agfapan 100 and Tmax 3200. Here's what I ended up with:
>
>- Half of the images were out of focus. I don't understand this since
>looking through the viewfinder, all my images were in sharp focus!

I assume you know how to use the center rangefinder
spot...? ;-) Some of us, though, do not find this
method of focus easy, fast, or even accurate (used with
a wide-angle close-in, for instance, if the focused
object is well off center, the stop is wide, and the
camera must be centered to focus, then rotated to frame,
the focus will be in error...). I find the Bessa
rangefinder fairly useable, though - but in general,
I prefer the focus and image as seen in a good SLR
viewfinder (rarer, in these days of AF bodies, than
formerly, alas...).

>- Some of the film was fogged from loading the film improperly.

Who claimed a Leica was easy to load??? ;-)

>- None of my images were cropped like I thought they were.

I would not easily give up the accurate framing of
a good SLR for.... what? Rangefinder framing is generally
laughably inaccurate, with both edges and front-back
subject relationships distorted, and with no sense of the
subtleties of DOF revealed...

>It seems like I've had it too good with my do-it-all 35mm cameras. I'm used
>to the slow pace of medium and the slower pace of 4X5, but I wasn't
>expecting this.
>
>Well, a lousy musician blames his instrument. I guess it's all on me, huh.

Not necessarily...;-)

>I think this outfit will improve my photography because I'm the pilot again,
>not the co-pilot. Just thought I'd share the experience. Of course, I
>still had a really great time, and no bad back lugging gear.

There is compact, light, and good SLR gear available
(mostly used...) - and, I would hate to be a pilot with
the plane having the limitations of a single squinty-small
peak-hole in the front (often necessarily supplemented
with an add-on non-focusing fuzzy CRT view, used with other
than the standard propellers on the plane...;-). Mebbe
you should try an F3 and a couple of good non-zooms, which
would give you that "in control" feeling, but with real
control over framing, DOF, and exposure...;-) BTW, I
recommend the non-HP F3 model, for compactness...