Take a look about 7 pages in from the back of the June 2001 National Geographic. There is a little piece on coal mining in Wales. The photo runs double-tuck and shows NG photographer Vince Musi exiting the mine with M6 in tow. Neat!

Makes me wonder if I am babying mine!?!?!

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), May 30, 2001

Answers

For the professional, any camera is an expendable tool.

-- Phil Stiles (Stiles@s-way.com), May 30, 2001.

It's probably a smart thing to bring a non-electronic camera into a potentially explosive place!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), May 31, 2001.

Oops, Andy Piper (ten posts down from this, titled "Leica Spotting") has already figured it out before I did!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), May 31, 2001.

OK, Oyin, maybe Andy thought about it first but still a clever observation to be kept in one's mind. I hadn't noticed it certainly is a relevant safety item in such a place. Just in case . . . Cheers

-Ivan

-- Iván Barrientos (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), May 31, 2001.

This past Winter while staying on Sanibel Island, Florida I had the misfortune of being caught in a torrential downpour with my M-6 and 35/2 combo. I had to walk back to my room which was approximately 3/4 of a mile away. The camera and lens have not missed a beat since. I did wipe both down and dried out the interior of the camera and lens by placing them in the sun light. I think the Leica M-6 is a very tough camera. I wouldn't recommend treating your Leica M this way all the time, but, it seems to have held-up with no adverse symptoms to date. I do plan on having the camera CLA'd sometime this year.

Jim

-- (james.kuhn-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov), June 01, 2001.

i've lately been worried about water, dust, smoke getting inside my viewfinder. i think i'm probably worrying too much. i went for a walk on a very windy beach last week and was worried about salt film...

-- Tristan (tristan@tristantom.com), June 02, 2001.