[Leica] High end audio and photography analogies

["Greg Bicket" <GBicket@email.msn.com>]

David,

In my opinion, I think you will find Leica most analogous to McIntosh.  Like
McIntosh, Leica is steeped in tradition, prized by aficionados, willing to
ignore a high tech present, solid performing, amongst the very expensive,
holds its value well, long lasting, providing robust rendition.

I was a little surprised to see you hoping to go light on cost, as quality
photographic equipment is like high end audio in many dimensions:  The stuff
to satisfy discriminating tastes is expensive, compared to the run of the
mill, and it is subject to rapidly diminishing incremental benefit for
dollars spent, just like audio gear.  Pedestrian gear is adequate for a wide
span of users, and gets a pedestrian job done.  It often contains flaws and
other characteristics that spur a smaller portion of the user group to seek
better performance.

And exactly like quality audio gear, nothing less will do for those with a
quest for quality.  Again, differences in perceptions are highly subjective,
much the same as in audio, what is natural, neutral resolution to one is
grotesquely manipulated and distorted to the next.

Another important analogy is worth your consideration.  The medium supplying
information is a key variable.  Like vinyl, CD, or DAT, films, photographic
papers and chemistry vary widely.

Finally, with age, some users find it difficult to be as acoustically or
optically precise as they once were, regardless of the hardware they're
using!

Enjoy the light.

Greg Bicket