Re: [Leica] Pros, Leicas, and losing market share.

["Mike Durling" <durling@widomaker.com>]

I know a wedding photog who uses nothing but R4s.  He says that they
eventually wear out but they are pretty plentiful used so he just replaces
them.

Mike D

- -----Original Message-----
From: Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter) <peterk@lucent.com>
To: 'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us' <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Date: Tuesday, November 16, 1999 5:48 PM
Subject: [Leica] Pros, Leicas, and losing market share.


>Mark,
>
>One reason that Leica may be losing the pro market is the wider range of
>digital 35mm cameras being employed by newspapers.  Take a look around.
>Between Nikon and Canon the Daily News in NY, NY Times, and many others are
>digital these days.
>
>Forget skateborders, but autoeverything cameras are convenient.  There are
>many wedding pros these days that are using Nikon F90s/F100 cameras and
>EOS-1Ns with zooms.  As much as you and others may not like it, its true.
>Take a look at the JFK Jr. wedding pix.  Denis Regie made them using a
>EOS-1N and 28-70mm lens.  I know this because I know Denis and we have
>discussed this.  He does also use a 'blad but loves the EOS-1n for what it
>can do.  Hey don't get me wrong, I am not knocking an M camera.  They are
>great for what they can do, but few wedding pros would even consider one.
>They want fast AF and good TTL flash.  While I am sure there are probable a
>few Leica R users that will indicate they use theirs for weddings, they are
>few and far between.  Even look at Nat Geo.  Pop Photo had a write up on
>their photogs and found that a great many (more than half) have moved away
>from the Leica M camera.  WHY!  Because with an SLR, what you see is what
>you get.  No compromise.
>
>Peter K
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Rabiner [mailto:mrabiner@concentric.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 1999 11:55 AM
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Pros
>
>
>><Snip>
>> It may be a troll, Mark, but it's a bullseye as well. The Leica M is the
>> ultimate pro camera that is used more by "non-pros" than by pros, because
>> the majorit of today's pros have been forced by the demands of their jobs
>to
>> use autoeverything cameras.
>>
>> B. D.
>
>Any camera with a possible exception of a Sinar P has a thousand non pros
>using
>it for every pro.
>
>It hasn't been established that Leica has lost market share with pros over
>the
>past autoeverything decade.
>If it is true that Leica has lost market share to pro's which I doubt I
>doubt is
>it because the demands of their jobs required autoeverything cameras.
>Talk to ten pros. How many of them have skate boarders rushing at them at a
>million miles an hour with the light changing?
>We've been though this before but...
> ...and therefore feel they really need and do really need the modern
>automation.
>I suggest such fast breaking photography is not typical to most pros work
>and
>that they know it.
>But the modern cameras are just to wonderful to pass up. They may not care.
>I
>used them for a few years and I feel I mastered them.
>
>I say to the doubters, shoot with an M6 for a week or two and you'll find
>out
>why there is a long list of top pros who have that camera as their favored
>one.
>You want to tell these greats who we all know that their camera is not a
pro
>camera!
>They will show you their ledger and their photos and look whimsical.
>And there are less dramatic examples of pros who always have an M6 around
>even
>if it's not their main camera but wouldn't dream of leaving it at home.
Lots
>of
>photogs are in that category.
>The M6 remains the most desired and respected and used cameras among other
>than dilettantes.
>
>I had doubts in the beginning as was only going to use mine for my personal
>work. What initially helped change it first and most was a current shot of
a
>war
>photographer with a slew of M6's slung all around him. He had just been in
a
>war
>was dodging bullets, diving in trenches and had brought back the shots as
>always
>with his Leica M6's.
>Covered with dust and dirt and Leicas he looked serious,
>and professional.
>Mark Rabiner
>