[Leica] Leica vs. Fuji - focus….

[steve.barbour at gmail.com (Steve Barbour)]

On Apr 6, 2013, at 7:29 AM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> I think its obvious it would be foolish for not a very rich person to blow
> seven grand on a camera unless its a major passion for them which they have
> obviously devoted a major piece of their time to. Leisure time or 
> otherwise.
> So why make apologies for not wanting to buy the latest M?
> Me I've never spent a third that much on a car.
>> 
>> However I do agree with the punch line:
>> " is Fuji the new Leica?
>> In my opinion, NO - Leica will always be Leica. These are 2 different 
>> camera
>> systems and brands... Owning a Leica is much more than owning a camera or 
>> a
>> tool to take pictures with. You'll get a hand crafted camera with soul. 
>> It is
>> a lifestyle and everyone who ever owned a Leica knows what I try to say. "
>> Is a Bic a poor mans bargain basement Montblanc?
>> No they are both pens. Other than that they have nothing in common.
>> Is a Chevy a poor mans BMW?
>> Ditto.
>> Fuji: Leica?
>> Ditto.
>> Just because a camera is not a DSLR does not mean it has much anything at 
>> all
>> to do with Leica.
> Mark William Rabiner
> Photography
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/

I agree with most of what you say Mark, but not the conclusions.
What you can do is shoot with both of the cameras, Fujifilm EX1 or XPro 1 
and the Leica M9, compare the two experiences, the photographic results, the 
images you produce, especially with respect to the ease and accuracy of 
focus....then you will see why the yield of well focussed results with the 
Summilux 75mm 1.4 and the Noctilux wide open on the M9 is so low. Only then 
will you understand why the Fuji cameras are thought so highly of, and why 
at roughly 20% of the cost of a Leica they are doing so well. Owning a Leica 
is wonderful, I do own several, I aspired to this for most of my adult 
life...but Leica has to get their act together and come up with a system 
that can accurately focus reproducibly, under the hardest of circumstances, 
to stay competitive in the real world. Otherwise,  they will continue to be 
expensive collectors items and museum pieces that fail where it counts, and 
they will again and again get sent back to Solms by frustrated shooters to 
accomplish the impossible, which is to adjust them to focus under the most 
trying circumstances, as well as in others, blindly.  The only way to focus 
reliably in all circumstances is to see what you are focussing on. A blind 
mechanical linkage will not do it.

I hope the newest breed of M cameras can measure up to these stringent 
demands.

Steve


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