Re: [Leica] Another Lame Brian Bower Book

[InfinityDT@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/23/99 9:16:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
dstate1@hotmail.com writes:

<< I just read the new Leica Lens book by Brian Bower at the book store and 
as 
 with his other books I am amazed at how superficial and basically pointless 
 this book is.>> <snip>

I wasn't impressed with this book, but the Leica M book certainly inspired me 
to think of the Leica beyond it being the street-shooter's tool, and since 
I'm don't do street photography, it meant I started using my Leicas again.
 
 
 
<<If you listen to him there is nary a defect in any Leica lens ever made!>> 

      Lots of people seem to share that zealous notion.
 
 <<It is a shame that few if any books have been written that actually 
compare 
 the performance of the lenses and use PHOTOGRAPHS to illustrate the 
 differences!  Certainly anyone looking to buy Leica lenses would appreciate 
 some direct comparison shots from lens to lens.  Even Erwin, a very fine 
 researcher no doubt, does little in the way of PHOTOGRAPHIC comparisons in 
 his reports.  They are typically TEXT.
 
 It certainly does not seem difficult to create these comparisons.  A person 
 like Bower who has already built a track record with a publisher willing to 
 print a high quality book (and presumably has access to a wide selection of 
 lenses) should have little trouble getting the job done if he were willing. 
 (obviously he is not)
 
 Wouldn't a series of high quality PHOTOGRAPHIC comparisons do a lot to take 
 the VooDoo out of this subject?
 
 Dan
 
  >>
             I think there might be a problem in getting the nuances of lens 
performance
to show clearly through all the printing process, especially if you're 
talking about very minute characteristics such as what Erwin reports on.

DT