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From Russia with Humor....

I received this email from Russia and  found myself still laughing about it days later..

Subject: :  What Did Oskar Barnack Ever Do to You?

From: "T.Lavrakas"  

Dear Mr. Gandy:

I read with great delight your series of articles on all thing Leica. They
are most entertaining and informative, although one does detect a certain
hostility towards my former good friend the M6. One could even say that,
were the M6 the battleship Roma, you would rather fancy yourself in the
role of the SD-1400-X glider bomb.

Still, I can do no less than thank you. My girlfriend (who bought the
wretched thing for me for Christmas) asked me today how Mr. M was doing.
"Look at this thing," I said. "It has a shoddy finish and the viewfinder
is cluttered. Although I can see the 28mm frame, I'm not supposed to be
able to with glasses, and this makes me feel all unsettled." She pondered
a bit, considering the black excrescence I held before her. "You're right,
" she replied; "it's just a turd on a strap. What would you like instead?"
I told her about a cool Japanese camera that was "more advanced" , and
even though no parts were available for it, I could probably convince a
repairman to work on it. She was delighted, and so the search is on for my
very own CLE.

You will be happy to know that the M6 is out of my life now, for good. I
traded it in at the local second-hand market for a Zorki 4, which has a
lovely solid feel to it, not unlike a classic 1,000,000+ M3, or something.
No more shabby leatherette to insult the intelligence of my fingertips; now
when I photograph, I caress only the finest Soviet-made hammered steel,
painted black to resemble leather. Now there's a durable finish for you.
If only those boobs in Solms would pull their heads out and try some real
innovation for a change.

Anyway, keep up the good work. 

Warm regards (and just teasing),

Tom Lavrakas
Moscow, Russia

For those of you who might be Battleship challenged, the Roma was an Italian W.W.II battleship sunk by a German glider bomb controlled by the releasing bomber -- the world's first successful "smart bomb."

The Zorki is a Russian "Leica Copy" of questionable workmanship and reliability, yet still a bargain at a very inexpensive price.

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Revised: November 26, 2003 .  Copyright � 1998- 2002  Stephen Gandy. All rights reserved.    This means you may NOT copy and re-use the text or the pictures in ANY other internet or printed publication of ANY kind.  Information in this document is subject to change without notice.  Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.