Originally Posted by
tyrion
I hear a lot of talk about SLR flappy mirror mechanisms being fragile, but I think that's overblown. Remember, those flappy mirror cameras did pretty well in Viet Nam.
those are Nikon F bodies, and were (and are) incredibly tough cameras. I knew a photographer who used to come into a shop I worked in who told the story of being held up, he had a motorized F around his neck (Ive held these before, heavy mothers) so said, "ok sure, here you go" Tossed the whole thing into the guys face, knocked him silly, camera smacks onto the sidewalk, robber in pain on the floor, guy picks up the F and runs off and it worked fine. Second hand story told to me by someone in the store who the photographer told the story to, so maybe it was overblown....but yes, the F was a tough sucker.
The drives by memory used 8 or 10 AAs, my much later motorized FE, FM adn FM2s only used 6 or 8, cant recall.
but yes, using M body Leicas was popular in Vietnam etc also, small, light, quiet and tough.