Why would anyone want a Leica with no screen?

[swamiji]

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It's a good thing that the screen is generally used after the image is made, at some point when attention to the subject is no longer desired. And the preview can be turned off, so that it's no more a distraction than anything else in the world.

 

 

It is used after an exposure and before or perhaps instead of the next one...

 

The argument "just don't use it" is false at best, if it's there we use it...

[viramati]

no

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[swamiji]

no

 

 

You mean to say, you have never used the screen? I find that hard to believe.

[250swb]

Why wouldn't I want a screen? Well it is entirely down to bravado, I'm so hard core Leica if they cut me open I'd have,...... err, blood running through me. No, that didn't work as an analogy.

 

I wouldn't want a screen because I don't like to prove myself wrong,..... err, implied self criticism, no that's not good, forget that.

 

I wouldn't want a screen because I've never needed one with a film Leica, ....err damn it, that doesn't work either, it's hypocrisy, it's still a digital camera and I post process my pictures digitally and put them on the web.

 

Oh sod it, I don't know why I wouldn't want a screen, I just hope they put a socket somewhere so I can connect my iPad.

 

 

Steve

Edited September 4, 2014 by 250swb

[swamiji]

Steve, from that perspective, you would not want a screen because it's totally inadequate for the task. Connect to your iPad or android device via wifi, and your good to go. Or better yet, skip the M and just use your iPad. Easer on aging eyes.

 

For me, I want to take it one step further.., no meter and no screen. For some reason you can turn off the screen but not the meter.

[zlatkob]

It is used after an exposure and before or perhaps instead of the next one...

 

Photography is generally not a continuous process that requires nonstop attention to a subject. There is usually a beginning and an end, with breaks in-between, when one can do other things and look elsewhere without sacrificing a significant photograph.

 

The argument "just don't use it" is false at best, if it's there we use it...

 

I agree. This is why I don't believe people who say they don't chimp. Chimping is too valuable to give up. Sort of like mirrors on a car — if they're there, we use them.

[swamiji]

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Photography is generally not a continuous process that requires nonstop attention to a subject. There is usually a beginning and an end, with breaks in-between, when one can do other things and look elsewhere without sacrificing a significant photograph.

 

 

I agree. This is why I don't believe people who say they don't chimp. Chimping is too valuable to give up. Sort of like mirrors on a car — if they're there, we use them.

 

 

Well I guess you have not shot street in a busy area, non-stop action...

 

People do use mirrors in the car too much, it's easier than actually looking. Because the mirrors distort perspective it's not as safe.

 

People chimp because of lack of confidence (justified or not), either in the camera (exposure) or them selves. So I can see this strikes a nerve of challenging ones insecurities. But for those who don't want the distraction of a screen, it's not about elitism，it's about focusing on the task at hand.

 

Also as pointed out by othets

Edited September 4, 2014 by swamiji

[swamiji]

Also as pointed out by others it's a chance for the M to slim down and loose a little weight.

 

Tapatalk is acting strange today... So sorry about the odd breaks and updates.

[Herr Barnack]

I would rather see Leica offer a v.2 M240 with no "movie" ( ) button on the top plate and a firmware update that lets you deactivate live view. 90% of the time when I am composing a vertical shot, my glasses frame activates live view. This is getting very old very quickly.

 

Damn live view button, can't have nothin' nice.

[swamiji]

Well you almost have it now, the current firmware allows you to disable movie mode and allows you to disable LV except when you use the EVF...

[zlatkob]

Well I guess you have not shot street in a busy area, non-stop action...

 

When photographing non-stop action, a photographer doesn't chimp. It's that simple.

 

However, even a busy area is not non-stop action, and there are opportunities to look at things other than the subject, whatever the subject may be. When you're out photographing, do you ever look at anything other than the subject? For example, do you check that the traffic light is green before crossing the street? Do you look out that you don't get hit by a car or bump into people? Do you pay attention that you don't fall down stairs of off a bridge? Have you ever stopped to tie a shoe lace or blow your nose? Or to button your coat or check the time? Or to get a coffee or a sandwich?

 

If you do any of those things, you've lost attention from a subject that was in your viewfinder or that might have been in your viewfinder, and possibly missed an opportunity to make one more exposure. It's tragic, I know.

 

Chimping is no different. Yes, you're not actually photographing when chimping, but you're not photographing constantly from waking to sleep. There are breaks when chimping is sensible and provides very valuable information ... sometimes letting one better perform the task at hand.

[swamiji]

Good excuses, and if I was new to photography I might accept them. I wonder how you survived the age of film?

[mfunnell]

I don't think people are approaching this in the right spirit of purism.

 

What I want is a Leica M Kodachrome. It would have no rear or other LCD, no meter and no electronic displays of any other kind. It should have a maximum shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second (or perhaps even slower) and the shutter should be mechanically cocked, released and timed. Unfortunately, given the digital nature of the camera, it is likely to require use of batteries but this is less than ideal. The presence of a battery should not tempt the designers to use an electronically controlled shutter as it is likely that will be too accurate and insusceptible to to variation due to wear through continued use.

 

The camera should allow selection of ISO 12, 25 or ISO 64 but no other sensitivity value. It should accept only 256MB or 384MB memory cards providing for roughly 24 or 36 JPEG-only exposures (JPEGs are used to guarantee that if you clip your highlights they stay clipped). These cards should be write-only (to prevent you deleting photos) and, while files will be in JPEG format, they must be encrypted using a proprietary encryption algorithm such that decryption will be available only at a small number of selected facilities to which you will have to mail your cards for decryption and reproduction. (Note that the decryption process must require the physical presence of the cards.) Those reproductions will be small size and only be viewable by projection, although an expensive additional process should be available to produce prints.

 

Obviously, the cards used for taking photos (being write only) can only be used once, so additional cards will need to be purchased when you want to take addditional photos. Also quite obviously, if the cards are lost in mail to or from the decryption facility then the photos are lost forever. It would be nice if decryption were a destructive process such that an invalid attempt at decryption permanently destroyed or degraded the original, but this may be technically incompatible with the write-only nature of the cards.

 

I'm sure that I've forgotten to include other restrictions on the capability of my proposed M Kodachrome, but I think the above is a good start.

 

...Mike

[swamiji]

Cute, I remember being laughed at when I suggested a Tri-X (only) digital M, back when rumors of the M9 were being circulated. Now there are lots of happy Monochrom users. The M9 was there Kodachrome camera,,,

[jaapv]

When photographing non-stop action, a photographer doesn't chimp. It's that simple.

 

However, even a busy area is not non-stop action, and there are opportunities to look at things other than the subject, whatever the subject may be. When you're out photographing, do you ever look at anything other than the subject? For example, do you check that the traffic light is green before crossing the street? Do you look out that you don't get hit by a car or bump into people? Do you pay attention that you don't fall down stairs of off a bridge? Have you ever stopped to tie a shoe lace or blow your nose? Or to button your coat or check the time? Or to get a coffee or a sandwich?

 

If you do any of those things, you've lost attention from a subject that was in your viewfinder or that might have been in your viewfinder, and possibly missed an opportunity to make one more exposure. It's tragic, I know.

 

Chimping is no different. Yes, you're not actually photographing when chimping, but you're not photographing constantly from waking to sleep. There are breaks when chimping is sensible and provides very valuable information ... sometimes letting one better perform the task at hand.

Photographing non-stop action is called video....

[hamey]

The M9 was there Kodachrome camera,,,

 

Then thank goodness that I never bought the M9.

 

I used Kodachrome for over 30 years, frankly I found Fuji Provia 100 kills Kodachrome.

Whenever I view my slides such as on slide nights my chromes look dull compared to Provia and Velvia.

 

Thank you Mr Fuji

 

Long live slide film.

 

Ken.

[ynp]

No screen is ok, if there is a WiFi connectivity to your iPhone, or smartphone, or Leica-T-M- Phone

[tookaphotoof]

Steve, from that perspective, you would not want a screen because it's totally inadequate for the task. Connect to your iPad or android device via wifi, and your good to go. Or better yet, skip the M and just use your iPad. Easer on aging eyes.

 

For me, I want to take it one step further.., no meter and no screen. For some reason you can turn off the screen but not the meter.

 

I think this has been discussed before and although I thought that indeed could be a solution in the end I don't think I would want it myself. So now I would have this 1.5mm thinner camera, but carrying my iPhone / iPad with me for certain settings in the camera? Wouldn't work for me.

About the metering, would be great if you could turn it off as I don't use it, but it never bothered me. I actually don't notice it at all looking through the viewfinder.

[zlatkob]

Good excuses, and if I was new to photography I might accept them. I wonder how you survived the age of film?

 

Sure, let's talk about the age of film. No LCD to look at back then. I recall a number of other distractions that I don't have now, such as having to rewind entire rolls of film after every 36 exposures, unload the camera, load the camera very carefully, wind the film to its first exposure, making sure it had actually been wound, making sure the ISO was set correctly on the camera or light meter, etc. While those things were happening, no photography of anything was happening. That was then. Today, some believe one can't even look at the back of the camera without being so terribly distracted as to miss some important photo.

 

I'm amazed that some people have the self-discipline for everything related to working with a Leica, from earning & saving the money to buy it, to choosing the right lens, to focusing manually, to setting aperture and shutter speed, etc., but then seem to be unable to control the urge to chimp at inappropriate times (or to simply turn off the LCD), thus wanting a camera with no screen.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[swamiji]

I guess the OP will never learn why someone would want a screenless camera. As the neigh sayers are busy being amazed by simple things.