Complex And Troublesome

Or neat and sweet. This is a post praising the makers of Leica cameras and the Leica system. I sometimes don't do that - of course it is generally just jealousy on my part over equipment that I can't afford to own. Sometimes over a design decision that owes more to the stylistas than the engineers. But today I have to say that I recognise a real winner of a product - this flash bracket that's on special in the Leica cabinet. I asked Sam which Leica it was for - it turned out to be the Type 240 - an M-series body. I was instantly smitten and saw the whole purpose of it in a second. You see, I cobbled up a similar rig for my own purposes using components that I found in here in CE and overseas in Bic Camera in Tokyo. It couples a Fujifilm flash to my Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera with more or less TTL . I use it whenever I want to get the flash off the top bracket for more directional light. Also, there are times when I want to add extra weight in the form of reflectors and diffusers and don't want it to be tilting me over up there on the hot shoe. It is a cumbersome thing, but adaptable. However, like all jury-rigged devices, it is awkward; the attachment to the hot shoe is still a big box and the coiled cord has a mind of its own...and it is frequently an evil one... Anything that has screw attachments can also unscrew. How much nicer the neat coil of the M240 bracket and the simple plug. The end result is the same, but the fight to get there is minimal. I suspect that there are many more things in the Leica M-series system that are equally neat and unobtrusive. I shall continue to take the Lotto tickets and perhaps I can confirm this someday. PS: Yes, I do regret trading in my Leica M film cameras all those years ago...