Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/11/30

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Subject: [Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use
From: tcharara at mac.com (Tarek Charara)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:38:08 +0100
References: <CCDD79FD.21655%chris@chriscrawfordphoto.com> <CCDD7D10.26EF3%mark@rabinergroup.com> <20121130004812.2699ab85@linux-mh41.site>

Wow, that's an incredibly high percentage of less than perfect cameras? I'm 
very lucky, my M8 is solid as a brick and has been through different 
climates ranging from Sahel with sand storms to tropical rainy climates - 
occasional beer-bars or refugee camp in between. The only bad things I have 
to say about that camera is that its buffer is less than professional and 
the cropped frames were a bit difficult to get used to. I'm at about 60K 
pictures since 2008 with the M8 and it's still working flawlessly?

I agree with you, at that price it should be perfect!

All the best from Paris!

Tarek

-------------------------------------------------
Tarek Charara
<http://www.tarekcharara.com>

NO ARCHIVE




Le 30 nov. 2012 ? 06:48, Phil Forrest a ?crit :

> Nope, won't happen.
> The Leica M9 failure rate was far too high for news professionals to
> consider using them for work. It's a fun hobby camera but for the hard
> working journalist, the Leica doesn't cut it. Both my M8 and M9 spent
> about 40% of the time I owned them out at Leica for repairs. I
> personally know owners of a total of nine other M9s in the Philadelphia
> area and every single one of them had to go back to Leica a few times.
> One of my friends went through three shutters in his M8 then two
> shutters and a sensor in his M9. And he's a working pro in Philly who
> luckily has Canon gear for backup but while his Leica was out at the
> factory, the backup became the regular camera.
> 
> All of the digital Leicas I have seen have had to have sensors remapped
> or replaced due to the hot pixel / vertical line issues. So, about 20
> digital Leica M bodies in the Philly area that are owned by
> acquaintances of mine and 100% of them had to be repaired. Not reliable
> enough for a premium product. For a camera that costs that much, it
> should not only be reliable, it should be PERFECT.
> 
> You said the M9 was going to be the game changer a few years ago, Mark.
> It didn't happen. It drove myself and two of my friends AWAY from Leica
> as a matter of fact due to their incredible expense, slow service, and
> then their declining support for the still excellent M8. 
> 
> So again, we won't see Leicas taking their place in the journalism
> world. Everyone knew the rangefinder was on its way out by 1960, so
> why would that change today? 
> 
> Phil Forrest
> 
> 
> On Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:58:56 -0500
> Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:
> 
>> I do think though the M9 worked and the M is going to work a whole lot
>> better and there are a huge amount of used Leica glass out there in a
>> gamut of price points. Pros are familiar with what Leica rangefinders
>> have done in the not too distant past and will be interested like
>> they always have in what that might add to their work. I think the M
>> is going to be a huge success for Leica and we'll be seeing articles
>> about pros using them for jobs. We didn't wee that with the M9. We
>> will see it with the M. Imagine shooting an f1 lens @ iso 6400! And
>> video clips. I think the new M will get Pro support in the market;
>> and Leica will be back in the hot spot at least where they were in
>> the 90's. When sure a small amount of shooter used Leica but in each
>> group there usually was at least one.
>> 
>> Mark William Rabiner
>> Photography
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>> 
>> 
>>> From: Chris Crawford <chris at chriscrawfordphoto.com>
>>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>> Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:52:31 -0500
>>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use
>>> 
>>> Nikon and Canon digital SLRs are used by 99% of the world's
>>> professionals. Why? Because they're extremely reliable, have
>>> extensive lens and accessory systems, and those companies are the
>>> cutting edge technological leaders....and despite all that, they
>>> cost less than Leicas.
>>> 
>>> Professional photographers of all types are hurting economically
>>> today, and that is especially true of journalists. They're poorly
>>> paid, and newspapers have been shedding staff photographers to save
>>> money. Leica has simply priced itself out of the professional
>>> market. It really is that simple. On top of that, Leica's digital
>>> cameras have had a lot of well-publicised technical and reliability
>>> problems. Pros need cameras that "Just Work", every time. Canon and
>>> Nikon cameras "Just Work". The lenses are affordable. The image
>>> quality is magnificent. Using Nikon or Canon is a no-brainer.
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Chris Crawford
>>> Fine Art Photography
>>> Fort Wayne, Indiana
>>> 260-437-8990
>>> 
>>> http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My portfolio
>>> 
>>> http://blog.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My latest work!
>>> 
>>> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Crawford/48229272798
>>> Become a fan on Facebook
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 11/29/12 8:41 PM, "David Ching" <davidhhching1 at yahoo.com.sg>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Come on, don't tease, tell us all. Which one/s? Why, if you know
>>>> the reasons.
>>>> 
>>>> And why not Leicas?
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> David Ching
>>>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> http://philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com/
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/philforrest
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



In reply to: Message from chris at chriscrawfordphoto.com (Chris Crawford) ([Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use)
Message from photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Phil Forrest) ([Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use)