Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: New M Tri lens - "Retrogressive?"
From: Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 21:15:59 +0100

>I agree Marvin, I can't see who Leica is trying to please with the Tri-Elma=
r.
>I consider my 2.8/28mm a slow lens...
>
>The M6 .85 (we spoke of M6 Tele) and the Tri-Elmar (or Trimar?) and the M6
>Wide were all officially denied by Leica, now only the M6 Wide isn't
>available (yet?).
>Has anybody heard when the M6 Wide is due and what are it's specifications?
>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>Bert Keuken

I wonder why a 2.8/28 is considered a slow lens and a 2.8/280 is fast one.
I would not regard the TriElmar as retrogressive just by taking a look at
one parameter: the full aperture value. If that were the only criterium
consider every medium format camera hopeless out of times and unworthy of
any place in this high speed world.

BTW: Leica never officially denied any of the items mentioned (TriElmar.
M6Tele or M6Wide). As we all might remember, the only persons who mentioned
them were  people who said they had been briefed or hinted at by "high
ranking" Leica officials. As Leica officially  never announced it, they did
have not have to deny it of course.
One might infer from all the questions now popping up about an M7 and a
M6Wide  that our curiosity for new products can never be satisfied. Hardly
anayone has been able to evaluate or reflect on the products at hand (Tri
and .85) and it is already history. We have witnessed the introduction of
new M lenses (and more are in the pipeline)  and we keep asking for ever
more. Do we really have a need for all these gadgets. Why could
Cartier-Bresson be satisfied with only three lenses and one body.
At the press conference last year when the F5 has been introduced (proud
japanese engineers etc) one Dutch journalist had only one question: When is
the F6 coming? Can you imagine the thinking in the minds of the japanese at
that very moment!

No industry I know of has this very peculiar Leica thread of continally
generating rumours about new products. When new cars or computers are
introduced we just evaluate them. We now that in a couple of years or
months successors will be introduced but we are at the moment involved in
the products at hand.
Why does nobody ask for a Contax G3 or a Contax AX2 or RTS IV.

I am sure Leica  is designing at this very moment a new M body and a new R
body and many new lenses with very exciting specs. I for one can wait and
see and enjoy using the excellent Leica products in my hands right now (yes
a M6 HM) and the fabulous quality of the optics. I pray that Mr K=F6lsch wil=
l
stop for a moment designing even better lenses. I have a problem right now
getting all the quality out of them in a decent (not lab) way.
Erwin