Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/10/07

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Yasuhara T981
From: "Martin V. Howard" <marho@ida.liu.se>
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 12:55:42 +0200

Jim Brick wrote:
> 
> The following statement does not make sense to me???
> 
> >> I bought the Leica *because* it is a Leica, as much as I bought it
> >> because of its qualities as a camera.  Sometimes, I'd just like a little
> >> more camera and a little less Leica for my money.
> 
> More gadgets? Less quality? Less serviceability?
> 
> What does "less Leica" mean?
> 

I was, half-humorously, referring to the history, identity, aura,
magic, je-ne-sais-quoi, that surrounds Leica equipment.  The "myth",
if you will (and I don't mean that in a derogatory manner).

When we buy Leica equipment, we pay for this too: This is partly why
Leica equipment commands premium price.  How do I know?  Because if we
didn't, you'd presumably see other camera manufacturers bringing out
M6-spec rangefinders and charging $2000+ for them.

This legacy is good.  I like it.  I bought Leica gear *because* of it.
But at the same time, I think it gets in the way of progress and
product development/refinement.  I'm not flaming Leica or aficionados
of Leica gear (of which I consider myself a newbie one).  I'm just
pointing out the flip side of the medallion.  Sometimes we pretend as
though it doesn't exist.


M.

- -- 
Martin V. Howard, Application Systems Laboratory,     | 
Dept. of Comp. & Info. Sci., Linkoping University,    | Just "DOHH" it!
SE-581 83 Linkoping, Sweden.  Tel +46 13 282 421,     +----------------+
Fax +46 13 142 231; marho@ida.liu.se; www.ida.liu.se/~marho