Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: mainstream thinking
From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 17:15:38 -0800

Stephen wrote:
> 
> > At 07:47 PM 11/12/99 +0100, Erwin Puts wrote:
> > >
> > ><snip>
> > >
> > >Leica has trouble  to deliver. True. Lost its innovative edge? Wait and see!
> > >
> > >Erwin
> 
> By my count Leica has not introduced an innovative camera bodies since the M3,
> M5, and CL.
> 
> The R line has always been 5 to 10 years or more behind the times,  the M
> modifications of what has gone before.
> 
> If Leica has not lost the innovative edge in cameras, I wonder where they are
> keeping it.
> 
> Optics are the exception, where new designs continue to excel.
> 
> Stephen Gandy

When the M6 came out was it an innovation? Probably not. They took the self
timer out of the M4 and replaced it with a meter after the M5 proved the wrong
size to go over. You could call it a desperate move or you could call it a
brilliant move. I'd say more the latter because the result was for me and many a
perfect camera.
You are in the old camera biz Stephen. And you undoubtedly prefer them. I can't
afford to get into them just yet as much as I love them I need to shoot. I'm
getting a second M6 body this Month possibly a TTL I don't care much.
As far as wives cameras go (a popular thread here on the lug) after much looking
at the possibilities my wife has decided on a Leica M6. So I will be getting 2
M6's this month. Down the line I'll get older bodies as they are beautiful and
functional in their own ways. And it is even possible that after using them I
will find them a better shooting instrument for me then the modern M6. Maybe
I'll learn to be less meter dependent. If so I'll make sure to apologize to you
personally for criticizing your continual denigration of the M6.
Sincerely,
Mark Rabiner