Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/10

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Cosina still at it
From: Martin Howard <howard.390@osu.edu>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 15:01:53 -0500

Guy Bennett jotted down the following:

> P.S. An interesting question would be: why are the Konica lenses - which
> for all intents and purposes use the M mount - not attracting the same
> attention? Because they merely duplicate focal lengths currently made by
> Leica? Because they are considered to be too expensive? I'm not sure.

Because, they're are not as much fun.  Anyone who releases a 15mm f/4.5 or a
12mm f/5.6 lens in LTM is obviously having fun.  And it shows.  They're
good, cheap lenses, with no pretentions.  They're fun.

The Konica lenses are not fun -- they're serious.  Too serious.  While the
camera body may be positioned against Leica's wares as an electronic M, the
lenses are bland and lack personality.  It's uncertain how they are supposed
to distinguish themselves from Leica's.  Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to
get the Cosina lenses (and I have -- one down, several to go) while I'd
rather buy a s/h Leica lens than the equivalent Konica.

M.

- -- 
Martin Howard                     |
Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU       | People don't like to be parameters
email: howard.390@osu.edu         | in an equation.
www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------