[Leica] Leica lenses

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

Of the more than 700 members of the LUG, a mere handful participate in
discussions. The personalities of these people become vividly apparent.

Some people will argue anything, just simply for the sake of arguing. Some
will argue that, no matter what proof anyone has, their own viewpoint is
the only viewpoint possible. Basically, these two types have no life and
look to the LUG (or whatever list) to supply them with stimulation that is
missing from their life outside of the network. This is unfortunate because
tones of typing and sentence structures have no human presence. It's just
someone's or something's meaningless words appearing on a screen.

This list contains many many professional photographers. People who make
their entire living via everyday photography. And they use Leica equipment.
It is pretty obvious that Leica makes outstanding equipment. The testimony
of professionals, still using forty year old equipment for their bread and
butter, is significant.

Professionals have learned, that it is how it looks "on the light table" is
what counts. If you are competing for work, or a stock pick, or whatever,
it still all boils down to "what it looks like on a light table." Of the
partici[ating professionals (on this list), we have heard, time and time
again, that their Leica images "stand out" on a crowded light table. Which
is why they use Leica.

Erwin can tell us the engineering and numerical data behind Leica lenses.
But even that is useless if your slides are passed by for some others.

So it is not just the equipment, it is the "eye" of the photographer as
well. But a good photographer will be an "outstanding" photographer, if the
equipment that they are using, will work in a way that art directors and
AD's choose, time and time again, over the competition. So having
"confidence" in the equipment is a great help as well.

Putting the package together, is it any wonder that the professional
photographers that we have on board, and here's where I'm going to get into
trouble as my feeble mind will miss someone... Ted, Donal, Harrison, Eric,
Tina, Michael, Fred Ward, Henning, Tim, Jeremy, Carl, ... and many many
more (this is off the cuff folks), are OUTSTANDING in their field, and
command the utmost respect from the professional photographic community?

My personal opinion is that is the "whole" package that makes these folks
stand-outs. Not any one item. Like a catalyst, each element works to help
the other elements, providing a whole, greater than the sum of the parts.
MTF numbers, lines per MM, film brands, AF, all the technical stuff, alone,
just doesn't do it. It's the person behind the equipment AND the
capabilities of the equipment that add up to outstanding photographic
abilities.

So arguing about which brand lens is better than which other brand lens is
a meaningless exchange of drivel. We all know that Leica makes lenses that
can hold their own in any photographic situation. And are the ONLY act in
town in many situations.

So it is my philosophy, that when mindless arguments, of meaningless words,
appear on my screen, I push delete. By acknowledging a "going nowhere"
subject, is a total waste of time.

Of course, if totally erroneous data, is put out as fact, the fallacy
should be corrected. And then dropped.

But human nature, as it is, leads one into these forayers, before one knows
they are there. At that point, one should simply stop, because it is simply
feeding a lifeless entity.

Jim