Most boring advert ever.

On the BBC News page is a heading, 'The most boring advert ever'. Dont jump at it as it is 49 mins long. It shows the making of the camera body from a billet of Alu, but mainly the handwork in finishing the body before anodising and painting. It shows a couple of techniques finishing by hand. The emery sheet with running water is interesting. It might in some way show why they are so expensive at £1600 or so!

Clive

First Clive congratulations on reaching your 1000th post!

As far as "so expensive at £1600 " goes though that would be a relatively modest camera. The top of the range Nikon and Canon bodies are around £5000. The more esoteric types can cost much more.

Then , of course, there are the lenses...........!

( I can but dream)

Norman

They should take a long hard look at their own 'Potter's Wheel' interlude

Neil

I remember spending hours (days!) polishing ceramics specimens on a similar water washed inclined plane. It held 4 rolls of paper side by side. Occasionally I would wonder what the white stuff that appeared on the paper was. I'd look at my finger tips and notice that they'd gone flat. Then little drops of blood would start to ooze. Oh happy youth!

Rod

I worked for Leica in the Surveying service workshop but had free access to Leica cameras dept. I engraved serial numbers on new camera bodies and also made some jigs for them. I was able to buy Leica cameras with a discount and I have an M6 and R6 with lenses to suit both. Surprisingly there is a large market for Leica cameras and lenses and accessories from a market stall in Milton keynes and I got to know a chap who would get anything you wanted Leica 2nd hand. Leica is an immense status thing and carrying one about seems to either get respect or derision, I must say that the results from Leica lenses are superb and I was able to put any lens I bought onto the resolution test bed and I have never found a Leica lens that did not pass the test. Obviously other camera systems are good, in fact I still use a Canon FD camera, which I have a complete set of lenses. It was very interesting to see a technician replace a fabric shutter blind and carry out meticulous testing to ensure the blinds did what they were supposed to do. They had a test rig that measured the shutters and the cut off points. There is also a big Leica Fake market where allegedly old Leica cameras are 'Found' and appear on the market for big bucks, all made up from spare parts. Now of course Digital cameras are the 'In' thing and Leica have always made good digital cameras, again very expensive.

Clive