[Leica] RE; Junks and cameras

[lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com)]

 Very interesting picture by Howard Cummer showing the last junk in Hong 
Kong.?
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/ChinaBear/AquaLunaw.jpg.html
A number of centuries ago Chinese sailboat technology was considered to be 
as good or better than the best Western technology. Chinese boats had real 
rudders instead of steering oars, individual water tight compartments, and 
multiple masts. True, they didn't have the slick fast hulls of Viking boats 
but they were far larger and safer. And they had the junk sail, 
characterized by individual panels of fabric supported by long battens. 
About 30 years ago junk sails were regarded as the next big thing for 
sailboats. Sailing magazines were full of articles showing how to fit junk 
sails to recreational boats. A few small junk rigged boats crossed the 
Atlantic. But eventually enthusiasm for the junk sail died out. Not because 
of technical inadequacy but because of user lack of knowledge. Each of the 
individual battens of a junk sail is controlled by a rope line. The cockpit 
of a junk rigged boat is a spider nest of rope. Most users didn't want to be 
bothered learning all the lines and their adjustments. Although the sail had 
a lot to offer it required the sailor to offer a lot as well. In this regard 
it is a lot like the Leica. You can do wonderful things with a Leica but it 
requires that you be a knowledgable photographer. It is so much easier to 
use automatic focus, automatic exposure, automatic color balance, automatic 
ISO selection. Just point the camera and let it do the heavy lifting. Isn't 
photography supposed to be fun?
Larry Z