RE: [Leica] Amateur Photographer and R8

[Jeremy Kime <jeremy.kime@bbc.co.uk>]

Leopold,
I suspect that what you have written here, along with a few other people's
comments would make a fine 'BACKCHAT' for A.P., that piece inside the back
cover where someone writes for half a page...
Why not submit it? It could help to redress the balance. 
E-mail address is 
amateurphotographer@ipc.co.uk

good luck,
Jem

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Leopold Green [SMTP:ldg@dmu.ac.uk]
> 
> 
> I agree with the point that Britain has declined in relative affluence,
> however, as in all societies this isn't equally divided, there remains a
> sufficient proportion of UK society capable of affording Leica, or Aston
> Martin, or various 'up market' HiFi's [KEF and the like]. Leica UK seem to
> sell reasonably well. I also agree that it is fine for other SLR's to beat
> the R8, BUT if it is done fairly. This test wasn't fair! Neither was their
> test last year when they placed the M6 last against the G2 and XPAN. The
> point I really wanted to make is that AP completely ignores Leica's lens
> selection, and after all a camera body is, no matter how good it is,
> something you mount a piece of glass on. When people are thinking of
> buying
> a camera system, even a 'high end one' they may well look at magazines
> like
> AP and what AP said this week, like what it said last year in the
> rangefinder test, is hardly likely to encourage someone to take the plunge
> and spend several grand. It would be fairer to if they could say that
> Leica
> is very expensive, isn't, in the Minolta/Canon scheme of things, good
> value
> for money BUT does offer unrivalled quality within the 35mm sector. 
>  
> I think AP is out of step with its English audience anyway, last year they
> did a readers poll of the greatest camera ever and the M6 came joint top
> with the F2M.
>  
> Leopold
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stuart Phillips [mailto:stuart.phillips@umb.edu]
> Sent: 22 July 1999 00:08
> To: leica-users-digest@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> <mailto:leica-users-digest@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> 
> Subject: [Leica] Amateur Photographer and R8
> 
> 
> It seems that there is a definite cultural difference operating here.  As
> usual, what is the "best"? I am English by birth but have more than 20
> years' distance to improve my perspective.  
>  
> Since World War II, Britain has until recently been significantly less
> affluent.  Magazines and other media reflect this, in part by considering
> value for money, or if you like, the possibly of any of their readers ever
> owning the product. In the US, cereal ads take place in $50,000 kitchens.
> In
> Britain, a cleaning product is demonstrated in a kitchen like mine (only
> cleaner). In SLR's Leica doesn't get the free ride that the M system does
> through lack of competition.  (BTW, I love M's) It doesn't seem so
> surprising that another SLR would beat out the R8.
>  
> stuart phillips