New Ten Commandments/Ammendments In No Particular Order (I hope the software doesn't remove my carraige returns and spool-up my items).

1. Always Buy Used

2. Infinity Images Must Line Up

3. You Must Use All Your Equipment

4. Never Use Flash

5. Never Use A Tripod

6. Never Use A Motor

7. Must Use Incedent Hand Meter

8. Camera Must Always Be With You

9. Never Use Filters

10. Practice, Practice, Practice

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 12, 2002

Answers

What in the hell is wrong with filters? Essential in B+W photography.

-- Mike DeVoue (karma77@att.net), January 12, 2002.

Not bad Chris, we are definitly on the same wavelength! I am guilty of 8 and 9 however.

Can I add:

11. Try and use only one lens.

12. Don't buy the latest lens etc just because it is.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), January 12, 2002.

11. Avoid making your life difficult by sticking to other people's rules

-- Matthew Pulzer (pulzer@dial.pipex.com), January 12, 2002.

1.Why? I have a 2 year insurance on my gear. 2.true.Buy new this won't be a problem 3.I only have a body and lens,so don't have much choice. 4.Never ever? so you have the choice to use flash or get a blurred,unuseable shot or don't get the shot at all? I know which I would do. 5.See above. 6.Yes,this does seem a tad pointless. 7.Why bother when the built in meter is so good? 8.Very true. 9.O.K.....rather you than me. 10.True.

-- Phil Kneen (philkneen@manx.net), January 12, 2002.

If everyone only buys used Leica gear....

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), January 12, 2002.

... then Leica would have to have a department of technicians paid to put twenty rolls through each new camera before putting it on the market.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 12, 2002.

........Leica Camera will go back to producing cameras of the build quality of the M2/3/4 *Vulcanite *Metal not plastic *Anti flare windows etc. etc.

-- David Seaman (Lincolnshire,England) (david@leicam.freeserve.co.uk), January 12, 2002.

Well I'm some kind of ungodly sinner than...Hail maryellenmark, your grace is...

-- Dave Doyle (soilsouth@home.com), January 12, 2002.

Here's my 10 commandments:- 1.Always buy the best you can afford,even if you can't afford it.

2.Spend any extra cash on film.

3.Don't buy photo-magazines.They make you want.

4.Visit art galleries,not camera shops.

5.Stop trying to be H C Bresson.

6.Cut all the pockets off your camera bag.No room for junk-do you need that chest-mounted-film-retrieving-lens-gromit?

7.Start a project.NOW.

8.Take your camera to work.

9.Stop sleeping with your best friends wife.

10.Eat 5 portions of fruit an d veg a day.

-- Phil Kneen(Isle of Man,UK) (philkneen@manx.net), January 12, 2002.

Phil:

Actually, he's not THAT good of a friend.... Otherwise, I can abide by the rest.

Dennis

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), January 12, 2002.

Nothing is wrong with using filters as long as they don't change the atmosphere.

For example, I'm using a polarizer on the 35mm and the 50mm (both R, sorry...) and it enhances a lovely scenery some film can capture

But I'm too lazy to use blue or strange filter. The photography is a support to my memory, no need to take acids to get the mood of a pix.

Hand held meter? Leica has asked Minolta to integrate their light measure into a R7. So?

Buying used? Don't shop in Paris, they are careless.... X.

-- Xavier d'Alfort (hot_billexf@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

mmmmm,careless eh......

-- Phil Kneen(Isle of Man UK) (philkneen@manx.net), January 12, 2002.

Nice one Phil!! very funny,but very true.It's so correct,alot of us spend too much time worrying about whether we have the best gear and not enough about the picture taking itself.

Wise words indead Phil.

-- Henry Frost (henryfrost@aol.com), January 12, 2002.

1) Don't buy or use AE cameras, regardless of who makes'em.

-- Doug Ford (dford@san.rr.com), January 12, 2002.

Commandments vary depending on what kind of photographer you are.

Grizzled old pro: Carry two camera bodies. Make sure they are as battered as possible - each dent and ding tells a story of a perilous assignment. Cover logos with tape (so people will know you are an old pro trying to disguise an expensive camera). Use frayed army-issue webbing instead of a strap, make sure the cameras bang together alarmingly as you walk around (hell, they're only tools). Carry a enormous backpack which guarantees a hunched over look of permanent suffering - artists have to suffer. Shoot by guesstimate.

The technocrat: Carry only the latest and most expensive models of camera. Choose no model which has less than 10 separate badges letting people know what it does (5 Megapixel Multi-Dynamic Inbuilt Super Booster Self-activating Guided Missile System with Autogyro). Ensure they beep and whirr as much as possible, especially during public performances. Change batteries continuously. Use the largest lenses available. Remember you're not taking pictures any more, you're imaging. Upload pictures immediately by satellite phone.

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), January 12, 2002.

Oh, I'm supposed to keep it with me? No wonder I don't take that many pictures lately.

Thanks.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 12, 2002.

I use filters; I'm picky about cleanliness and softness of the coatings on my old lenses. I only wish I didn't.

I use the Table Top gadjet. It's not a real tripod is it? Gitzo (Weekend Performance) stays home. It larger by at least twice and weighs almost the same as my 2 M, 3 lens, SWC travel kit. Not worth it for the 99% of the shot I get; as low as candle light in Spanish cathedrals.

I have equipment (a lot) at home. So, another one semi-broken; all will be sold (as soon as I can borrow a digital camera to post pictures on ebay).

I used a flash at a friend's wedding by request; But, I never want to be a wedding photographer; it's very dificult. They said mine turned out better than the wiz/band pro's.

So I must confess, I've broken several. But, these are my ideal for my future as a photographic hobbiest.

Greetings from Russia

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 13, 2002.

Lighten up. He was doing a spoof of the goofy 10 Commandments from this site:
http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/leicaslacker/plug/10/index.html

-- Fred Sun (redsky3@yahoo.com), January 13, 2002.

Whatever works! But I am always fascinated by manifestos. The Dogme manifesto has always seemed like a plausible one, especially when you see the results in the hands of talented film makers.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 14, 2002.