[Leica] All'n'sundry

[Mike Johnston <michaeljohnston@ameritech.net>]

A few random points I've wanted to contribute, in no particular order:

- --Predicting the U.S. street price of a new camera based on a conjecture
of the French price (retail? Street?) in a French magazine is truly a
fool's errand. There are too many obvious variables involved to make a
reasonable prediction on that basis IMHO.

- --I really enjoyed B. D. Cohen's website--thanks for the URL and nice
work, B.D.

- --The best developer for Tri-X 400, again IMHO, is D-76 1+1. I've made
pretty extensive trials. Of the two best new B&W developers, Kodak Xtol
and Ilford DDX, neither are at their best with TX. I don't think DDX is
on the shelves quite yet.

- --Not to lecture, but let me just suggest a word to the wise: after 12
years of reviewing cameras professionally and extensively, I've had
learn the hard way never to judge a camera in advance of actually seeing
and using it firsthand. I've had to learn this lesson more than once,
actually. I notice some people here have already decided a whole bunch
of things about the new Konica and are already not only arguing its good
and bad points but are actually coming to conclusions (!). This is like
writing a newspaper review of a gallery show one has not seen. I think
others would do well not to mistake such impressionistic conjectures for
actual knowledge <g>.

Know how I first arrived at that little "rule"? Some fifteen years ago,
I totally (and, uhh, rather loudly) dismissed a famous camera based only
on reading about it and studying the brochures and merely _believing_
that I knew what it was all about, while lacking firsthand experience.
When I finally put it to an extensive hands-on test several years after
that, I discovered to my embarrassment that my earlier position had
been...well, let's not beat around the bush: absolutely wrong. That
camera? As you may have guessed, it was the M6.

Finally, I must say I have a feeling we have not yet heard the last
surprise with regard to the just-announced Hexar RF.

- --Mike Johnston
_PHOTO Techniques_ magazine USA
Niles, IL