Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/17

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Subject: [Leica] All bets are off
From: telyt at earthlink.net (Doug Herr)
Date: Fri Sep 17 21:11:14 2004

on 9/17/04 7:22 PM, David Mason at masonster@gmail.com wrote:

> just because a new version of a camera comes out doesn't mean the old one
> stops working... hell, ask Doug about that.

The weakness in this analogy is that keeping my antiques working is
dependant on a supply of parts and service.  Barring accidents they go for a
very long time before they need any service but if I use them, accidents
will happen.  Since the best Leicaflex repair techs are in high demand and
turnaround often can be measured in months I've begun doing minor repairs
myself often using parts salvaged from dead Leicaflex bodies.  Being
hand-held computers the supply of parts for current digital cameras is
measured in months instead of decades.

I don't mind doing this because these cameras' viewfinders are second to
none, which has been very useful if not essential to the making of many of
my photographs.  Because of advances in film and optics the image quality
they produce now is better than when they were first built 35 or so years
ago, and still competetive with a new film-based SLR.  I doubt the same will
be said in ten years for today's digital cameras.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com



In reply to: Message from masonster at gmail.com (David Mason) ([Leica] All bets are off)