Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Mon, 12 June 2000, "Birkey, Duane" wrote: > > Unfortunately by the same token, Professional photographs taken by > Professional Luggers in many cases could have been taken with any reasonable > camera and lens. And quite honestly it is the same diference in the amount > of money spent. It actually might be more if you compare annual income > > I have used Canon FD cameras and lenses since High School.... My best images > have been taken them. I sold my Hasselblad stuff and used the money to buy > Leica. Why? The way my stuff gets used and published, you can't tell > whether something was shot on 35 or 2 1/4..... and the 35mm shot were always > better content wise than the 2 1/4. By the same token, For 99% of my work > you could never tell what was shot with Leica M vs my Canon stuff. There > is a difference in quality, and they do feel different and each has it's > advantage..... But, if you are shooting for printed material, that > difference between a $300 24mm lens and a $1900 24mm will be practically > negligible in many circumstances. > > And one could argue that for those situations, the expense for Leicas is not > justified either. Let's face it, if the expense was justifiable, no Pro > would be shooting with Nikon or Canon. (AF, features, reliability, > personal preferences and lens selection aside) > > Either way one could make the same argument about cars, pens, suits, > computers, stereo equipment and a whole host of other luxuries and in the > end it is all meaningless. > > Duane Duane, For many situations there is no question that the Leicas (M or R) are gross overkill. But Leicas are not intended just for ordinary situations. Quoting Ted Grant, "it very simply allows the photographer to shoot where others fear to tread", whether it's deep in Noctilux territory, or in light conditions where the flare in a lesser lens would ruin the image, or where the unobtrusive stealth of the M makes the difference between pictures and people hiding from the camera, or where the random motions of a kinglet or warbler give AF system fits and the f/6.8 Telyt gets the picture, or where I want to take a 400mm or longer lens backpacking. My Leicas are for those marginal situations where no other camera can go. I could just as well use another camera system for the more ordinary situations, but I'd still have the Leica for the extraordinary work. I can't justify the expense of another system in addition to Leica. Doug Herr Sacramento http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt ___________________________________________________ The ALL NEW CS2000 from CompuServe Better! Faster! More Powerful! 250 FREE hours! Sign-on Now! http://www.compuserve.com/trycsrv/cs2000/webmail/