Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] SHARPNESS
From: Dominique PELLISSIER <pelliss@droit-eco.univ-nancy2.fr>
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:01:24 +0100

At 09:15 29/12/98 +0100, you wrote :

Ted Grant wrote: None other than Erwin Puts, he's the best of the lens
technical breed as far as I'm concerened. I've learned more about lenses
from Erwin in the few years I've been aboard the LUG, than the previous 40
years. He makes the results understandable and interesting. 
What Erwin certainly does is convincing people like me to spend their money
on new unaffordable Leica lenses instead of the affordable 2nd hand
'anybrand' ones. Not that I will ever discover the 'differences' myself
with my handheld photography ;-)
>
>> You see 99.9% of the time I'm far too busy having fun and earning a few
dollars to concern myself with things of his nature. If it actually made me
produce "better pictures" not just "sharper pictures," I'd give it a whirl.
However, I don't believe knowing this kind of stuff is going to make me a
better photographer. and when it comes to people who buy photographers and
photography,an awful bunch of them wouldn't even notice the difference one
way nor another. Unfortunately.
>
>
>Ted,
>
>You are right: 'better pictures' are most of the time unrelated to'sharper
pictures'. What counts is subject matter, angle of view,composition, the
game of colors or the interaction of shades of gray.
And the fact that the image is relevant to viewers other than the
photographer.
>
>The Leica (or Nicamintax) part of it is the enabling process. The
resolution chart part of it is one the marketing arguments used by the
manufacturers of those tools. Leica is more fun :-)
>
>Alan
>
>
#####################
If sharpness is not the main criterium, why buy Leica lenses ? Nikon or
Canon lenses are 3 or 4 times less expensive.
Do you know that only 15% of Leica buyers in the world are professionals
(origin : Leica Camera and Le Figaro (a french newspaper)06/02/98 p.4)
?...So 85 % of pros have answered to my question.They don't buy Leica.
That's the strategic problem for Leica Camera : how to conquer
professionals who are, in essence, rational because they earn money with a
camera ?
If I were a  young pro, I'd never buy a Leica gear : too expensive, son.
Even "old" pros are reluctant. Some months ago the french photographer
Jeanloup Sieff tried the 24 M. He answered to Leica : "Its price makes me
move back a bit" (son prix me fait un peu reculer").He didn't buy it.


Dominique Pellissier