Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/06/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm not sure what I would do. Again, I've been using Leicas for over 50 years, and have seen what they've been able to do in that time. I've augmented Leica M's with SLR's that could do what the rangefinders couldn't, and while I did appreciate what R lenses could do on R bodies, I never bought into that system because the SLR's were the 'money making' system; I never enjoyed them as much as the M's for my personal work. Also, in general the R system was a bit limited for me; Leica would eventually come out with the lenses I wanted, but only years after Nikon had them. If I was seriously getting into photography now, I would probably go the route of: P&S, better P&S, Canon Rebel or something like that, better SLR and then maybe Fuji X Pro-1 to supplement that. Maybe after using something like the Fuji for a while I might try Leicas. Who knows? As it is, Leicas are the one camera that I have never left and don't see leaving now. They're not the be-all end-all, but I shoot better more easily with them than with anything else I've tried. Henning On 2013-06-26, at 4:23 PM, John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.nz> wrote: > Agreed, but that is with hindsight. > > If you were buying now, with no experience of Leica, could you justify the > cost over half a dozen 'disposable' Fujis? We are talking a couple of > cameras and a few lenses so somewhere over 20K USD initial investment.... > > john > ________________________________________ > > > I also bought a Leica 40 years ago because I knew it would stand up under > all kinds of conditions that other cameras would not. I still feel that is > true with my digital Leicas. I don't know what the reason is, but I've > never had a problem with my digital cameras that wasn't fixed immediately > by Leica. I dunked two M8s in a river, dried them by a fire, and they kept > working. Maybe I'm just lucky when it comes to cameras but I still believe > in Leica. I don't think I could have dunked my Canon 1DMII or 5D in a > river and still had them work. I love the simplicity of the Leica menus, > buttons and knobs that I can use in the dark by feel. I love rangefinder > focusing. I love my old Leica lenses. I would put up with a lot of quirks > to be able to use my old lenses full frame but I don't have to. I'm a > happy camper. > > Tina > > > On Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 7:06 PM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at > lighttube.net>wrote: > >> Hi George, >> >> You see things much the way that I do. I bought my first Leica body and >> lens in 1952, probably much earlier than most on this list. Though the >> IIIa was made in 1935, it had been serviced and had a new shutter when I >> got it. Though it definitely needs a CLA, it will make images, reliably, >> to >> this day. That is what started my appreciation of Leica products. >> >> Their digital products seem to be built for a limited lifetime. The two >> lines are entirely different, as I see them. I have a difficult time >> "buying into" their current approach to digital camera bodies. >> >> Jim Nichols >> Tullahoma, TN USA >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "George Lottermoser" <imagist3 at >> mac.com> >> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> >> Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 5:55 PM >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Buying Leica..... >> >> >> >> >>> On Jun 26, 2013, at 5:25 PM, John McMaster wrote: >>> >>> With hindsight I would still go Leica, nothing to touch the lenses for >>>> different looks and I prefer the simpler operation, but if I had not >>>> used >>>> them what would make me spend 'rather a lot' more on Leica than Fuji? >>>> Does >>>> 'full frame' or the build quality make enough of a difference for the >>>> price >>>> jump to most people? >>>> >>> >>> The piece of this "to Leica or not to Leica" quandary that throws me >>> is the relatively recent "lack of reliability and maintenance." >>> For over 30 years I KNEW that my Leicas would stand up to daily use; >>> be able to be CLA'd and maintained for the duration of my life. >>> >>> When the digital R path ended abruptly - doubt set in. >>> >>> Recent stories of lack of parts or repair paths for 5 year old cameras >>> seems totally unacceptable for "any" camera company; >>> let alone a high end, premium camera company. >>> >>> I expected that, what ever its flaws may be, that I could keep my M8 >>> making photographs for as long as I chose to hang on to it; >>> just like every other Leica camera that came before it. >>> >>> The idea that $7K camera bodies are simply disposable hardware >>> with a useable life of a two year warranty - feels totally unacceptable >>> to me. >>> If not unacceptable - certainly unaffordable - to me. >>> >>> I'm coming from that place where the 50 year old Linhof Tech IV >>> I just sold works every bit as well the day I handed it to Forrest >>> as the day it left the factory. >>> >>> This whole new device, whether computer, camera body, phone >>> whatever - simply feels quite "wrong." >>> >>> I welcome technological advances and their concomitant costs; >>> while also expecting that if I choose to remain a couple generations >>> back; >>> that high priced hardware continue to perform somewhere close to specs; >>> and be designed for adjustment back to original specs. >>> >>> Regards, >>> George Lottermoser >>> george at imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com/blog >>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/**imagist <http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist> >>> >>> >>> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > Henning Wulff henningw at archiphoto.com