[Leica] American Graffitti

[rsphotoimages at comcast.net (rsphoto's email)]

Ted:

I'll be 69 next month.  No big deal.  Just means there are fewer  
ladies and gentlemen who remember the day they saw the first porthole  
windows in the Thunderbird.  Back when is really was a Thunderbird.

Or the first Corvette; an inline 6.  Still a pretty cool-looking car.

Or the Austin Healy 3000 Mk II.  And so on.

Or the Princess Marguerite pulling into Victoria's Inner Harbor in the  
summer afternoons.

What sticks in my mind just now is just how much grey hair there was  
at the Leica Seminars in Seattle last year.

Sort of a metaphor for the product line, I fear.

But for those of us who are long, long past 30, it just doesn't matter.

I still love my R8 and R9 and two superb lenses and my little T2.   
They really produce lovely images (when I do MY job...).

I use a G9 for business graphics and miscellaneous stuff.  I bought it  
refurbished from Canon and it's "just fine".

But I'm still planning on an M7 as my next purchase.  I'm not wuite  
done with film.  Not yet.

I just can't get excited about digital imaging machines until they  
become real, practical,uncomplicated, affordable for what they deliver  
and have some generational staying power (say, like the DMR, which  
still produces breathtaking images - right, Mr. Herr?).

But I remember how I fretted over the new, latest, greatest, improved,  
breakthrough technologies in audio, video and photo when I was  
younger.  What a waste of time that was.

So what if some of us go on a bit too long about the merits of the  
inline 6 engine, or why Schott crystal billets make the best optics,  
or how many operations go into the building of a Certified Swiss  
Chronometer.  I remember talking with the gal who cleans and repairs  
our family timepieces (including those with little batteries.  She  
went to Omega's Technician School back in the day.  I learned a lot  
about craftsmanship from her through the years.

If we don't pass on the legends of quality, caring and craftsmanship,  
who will come up as the next generation "expert" on the subject.  And  
advocate similar standards in their own companies?

Being an old fart has it's upside.  Ranting like this is one of them.


Cheers, Ted.  I hope it's not snowing as much up there today as ist is  
in Seattle - although the TV weather reports show a lot of "pink" over  
the South Island.


Bob




On Mar 9, 2009, at 1:32 PM, Jim Nichols wrote:

Hi Dr. Ted,

I've got thirteen months to go.  I'm sure you will be there before  
me.  ;-)

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant at shaw.ca>
To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] American Graffitti


> OK guys let's get serious here. How many are 80 or over? Now that'll  
> be an
> interesting stat if ever! :-)
>
> Dr. ted the old guy! :-)
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+tedgrant=shaw.ca at leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+tedgrant=shaw.ca at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of  
> leica
> Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 9:04 AM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] American Graffitti
>
>
>
> You might ask, under 40?
>
>
>
> Bruce.
>
>
>
> On 9-mrt-2009, at 16:46, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:
>
>
>
>>
>
>> On Mar 9, 2009, at 8:09 AM, Jerry wrote:
>
>>
>
>>> Don't demean yourself.  You are not old!  I went to high school in
>
>>> the
>
>>> 40's.  Bronx High School of Science-- '47  It just
>
>>> went co-ed in my Senior year.  Memories 8-)  !!
>
>>
>
>> Boy we are a bunch of old farts on the LUG. I graduated from High
>
>> School in '47 too. Is there no one on the LUG that can be trusted?
>
>> Is anyone one the list under 30?
>
>>
>
>> Larry Z
>
>>
>
>>
>
>> _______________________________________________
>
>> Leica Users Group.
>
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>
>
>
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