Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Dante, With any human behavior, the answer is many answers. Take the Honda Civic. A young person buys a cheap Civic because that is all they can afford now. Time passes, more money shows up and suddenly you have new seats and a fabulous sound system. More time passes and more money appears, well off come the heads for newly engineered heads with a new intake and exhaust system. With more power you need a better suspension, wheels, tires, struts.... So what started out as a $4000 econobox becomes a 20,000 personnal statement without the owner really quite understanding just how much has gone into the vehicle. Regarding a stock 1911, as a military weapon designed for the purposes intended you will not find a much better weapon; great pointability, intuitive use, just about immune to GI abuse. Downsides would be an inherent inaccuracy built in to keep the weapon functioning in the field. So, the first thing to upgrade is with a tighter bushing to increase repeatability and decrease the abiltiy to work dirty. The trigger which is both mass produced and with enough friction that a adrenaline charged GI won't fire it by accident is also an impediment to accuracy, so you stone the mechanism to smooth it out and make it more predictable. The list goes on. With a Leica, you add a trigger wind to speed up the wind and decrease the need to remove the camera from a left eye dominant eye on winding. You add a softie to improve slow shutter response. You consider ostrich because the #$#$%% covering after forty years or so is flaking off. You change the viewfinder because after twenty years Leica finds a way to decrease patch white out. Then there are the folks that just want to have it different, not too different mind you, just not the same as everyone else. Or to respond to your original question, homo sapiens just likes to tinker, the better mousetrap and all that. Don don.dory@gmail.com On 3/9/06, Dante Stella <dstella1@ameritech.net> wrote: > > Let me bring this back on topic with a question - > > Why do people go crazy re-engineering cameras, 45 caliber pistols, > cars, etc., with so much aftermarket stuff? Is this a male urge? > > -- A Leica M is pretty and functional in its own right, but then we > see ostrich leather. And modified battery caps, trigger winders, M4 > takeup spools, M3 wind levers, etc. > > -- A Colt army 45 automatic pistol is pretty simple and functional, > but in the past couple of weeks there has been a lot of discussion > about changing various parts (leading to some interesting visual > results). > > -- Most cars have an integrated design when they come off the line. > But then you see the add-on big wheels, big mufflers and whale > wings. Witness the rise of the $45,000 Honda Civic that still only > goes from 0-60 in 8 seconds or so. > > The common thread seems to be a desire for self-expression through > modifying mass-produced goods. But none of these items was > inherently unsuited for its purpose as sold, and even where they have > some deficiencies, you can always get a "better" version than the > original in prepackaged form at a lower price (M6, Colt Gold Cup, > Corvette) than modifying one thing into another. > > I know the argument is that they are tools being adapted for the job, > but you don't typically regrind the face of a hammer you use to drive > nails. Or custom grind your screwdrivers. Or change the gear ratio > on your electric sander. > > Also, why doesn't anyone re-engineer whisky? Or is that what club > soda, dark vermouth, and sours are for? > > Dante > > NO ARCHIVE > > > On Mar 9, 2006, at 3:25 PM, B. D. Colen wrote: > > > Funny, when we discuss pens, hats, scotch, guns, women/men, music, > > cars, > > computers, politics (we get sent to bed, or to the Forum ;-) ), > > weather, > > children, we don't feel compelled to "stay on topic." ;-) > > > > > > On 3/9/06 3:21 PM, "Scott Gregory" <s_gregory1@mac.com> wrote: > > > >> B.D. > >> > >> Likely just because this is a Leica forum and we wax nostalgic > >> about the name > >> and products and we have to keep the E330 discussion on topic > >> somehow I guess! > >> > >> Scott Gregory > >> London, Ontario > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Leica Users Group. > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >