Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] M7 wish lists
From: "David Medley" <dmedley@whidbey.net>
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 14:45:48 -0800

Emanuel,

You missed the point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with advancing the
art of  35mm equipment. But at what expense? There are precious few manual
cameras in the marketplace today. Almost all of the wishes on the current
thread would involve some type of automation and the power with which to
run that automation. 

When all else fails, I know that my Leica M will function, without
batteries, in a quiet and straight forward manner and I will be able to
take the shot to the bank. All of us on the LUG have embraced and welcomed
the latest technology, otherwise we would not be here in the first place.
But I must say that I will not give up my piece of charcoal and my ability
to scrawl a letter to mum on a piece of granite. Nor, will I give up a
completely mechanical camera if I have any choice in the matter.

I believe that all of us welcome improving technology, and we will continue
to use it,  but let us not have that technology just because it is possible
and affordable. Nostalgia has nothing to do with my desires to keep the M
series as it is. Reliability and function in my estimation win out over all
of the "stuff" that we could stuff in our M's.  I have no doubts that the
M-6 can be improved, and over time I hope to use those improvements myself.
But, those improvements cannot be made at the expense of the very principle
of the tool itself.

Cheers,
David Medley
Whidbey Is.   WA
USA
dmedley@whidbey.net

- ----------
> From: Emanuel-Temp_Lowi@READERSDIGEST.COM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] M7 wish lists
> Date: Thursday, February 12, 1998 11:36 AM
> 
> 
> Why all the fuss? Even Leitz, 30 years (give or take) after introducing
> their screwmount camera, saw fit to launch a photographic revolution by
> releasing the M3. They chucked most of their old technology and styling
and
> gave the world a much better, faster-operating, more versatile, and
> stunningly modern camera. Anyone still complaining about that? They
> released the IIIG to satisfy their then-aging loyal clientel, but won a
> whole new and very influential market with the M-cameras. They changed
> photography.
> I, for one, have faith that they could do it all again if only people
would
> permit the brains at Solms to let the creative juices flow and stretch
the
> boundaries of 35mm once more. I sometimes wonder whether the naysayers
just
> don't believe that Leica can get it right in the '90s. Who, then, are the
> truly faithful acolytes? Those who revere only the past, or those who
also
> yearn for future glories?
>