[Leica] Black paint and pure bromide

[Mike Johnston <michaeljohnston@ameritech.net>]

Apropos of nothing, I find it amazing that a _black paint_ Leica is now a
prized, limited collector's item...what was originally a chintzy,
utilitarian finish that wore poorly. It's really interesting how these
things get turned around. Another example is that chlorobromide papers were
originally considered to be the best quality, and "pure bromide" papers were
used principally for their speed and principally for repro work, e.g. in
newspaper darkrooms. Then, in the '30s, when the tide turned to "straight"
work, a number of art photographers turned to printing on bromide papers as
a way of expressing their anti-ostentation. By the '80s, makers and venders
were advertising "pure bromide" paper as if it were the very soul of high
quality, and chlorobromide papers were considered less desirable. And so it
goes.

Don't get me wrong, I like both bromide papers and black-paint Leicas. I
guess I just don't understand why black paint can't be an everyday option on
an ordinary Leica, instead of costing as much extra as a mid-level EOS.

- --Mike