Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/07/26

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Subject: German Magazines (Leica Forografie)
From: uzs13b@ibm.rhrz.uni-bonn.de
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 11:34:44 +0000

> In einer eMail vom 23.07.97  09:07:39, schreiben Sie:
> 
> << fotoMAGAZIN doesn't really
>  excel in terms of competence. As you have been employed there your opinion
>  will certainly be different. >>
> 
> You can bet on this one. BTW: Who excells in the german mag market? Leica
> Fotografie?

Regarding the overall quality of the photographs (technically + 
contentually) Leica Fotografie is at least in the upper quarter.
They just are out of any competition because they deal with 
Leica only.

To me the german mag market is a truly sad story. 

You will hardly ever see any criticism about a product how 
crappy it might be. If something is nearly unsuable, they just tell 
you it is for begginers (poor beginners!). They seem to be that 
dependent on advertisement that they give up their independence and 
are moreover a collection of ads which just look as if they were 
editorial. 

One small example that I remember well: In 1989 Nikon 
changed the shutter of the FM2 from the titanium-build to the recent 
aluminium shutter. I had the chance to read three magazines in 
parallel at a time, Photographie, FotoMagazin and Colorfoto. All 
three had *literally* the same article about what was changed and 
why. Obviously all three published an unedited Nikon Press-Info but 
presented it as if it was editorial. 
In about 1995 Photographie presented a whole article which over 5 
pages praised Minolta AF-lenses. They didn't mention downsides, 
disadvantages, restrictions or whatever. It was a pure: "It's great 
buy it!" This article was in no way marked as beeing an 
advertisement.

BTW: The selected readers-photographs in the two major magazines 
(FoMag and CoFo) are a pain to look at! 

There recently has been a discussion about the german Mags on usenet 
(de.rec.fotografie) and the conclusion was that one better spends his 
money on books but wasting it on one of the german magazines.
You can go wrong with a book, but you certainly go wrong with one of 
those Mags.

The lens-tests are another story though. If you are considering a 
certain lense the test results (preferably more than one of them)
are welcome help for the decision. You just have to know who is 
biased into what direction.

> Besides this: I think, my behaviour in cyberspace is quite okay. It cannot be
> the meaning of Nettiquette just simply not to say ones opinion. 

In public it doesn't matter at all if _you_ think your behaviour is 
ok. As long as your audience in this group thinks that you rumble 
around like a wild Rhino you will be told about it. Your opinions 
havent been a problem at all and I very much appreciated your input!

> And it cannot
> be your role in this newsgroup to tell me what to post and what not.

Got you on that Frank: actually you are *not* on Usenet here which 
makes a lot of a difference.

best regards


Stefan
- --
Stefan Kahlert
uzs13b@uni-bonn.de