Fred's view *is* valid, BUT it's only one view.

["Roger L. Beamon" <beamon@primenet.com>]

>The joy of using Leicas is that you can 
>be a collector AND a photographer, but as someone who has bought, traded, 
>used, and sold several Leica M, R, SM systems, I think that the key is 
>that the two should be balanced.  Certainly more balanced than this group 
>has been lately

No, Jason, the joy of OWNING is that you MAY be a photographer OR a
photographer and collector OR a collector. Balance is in your head only. I,
too, am a shooter, BUT darned if I'll let the minutiae that is so paramount
in the interest of the collector bother me. In fact, the Leica shooter tends
to be more concerned with minutiae than shooters of other marks, just
*because* he's shooting Leica. The rich lore and choices within the line
practically dictate more than usual interest in the equipment side of the
job/hobby. Whether you care or not, you are perceived by others as caring
simply by what's hanging around your neck.

Let's all go do what we care to do with our Leicas. If certain threads are
of no interest to you, then exercise your selectivity by deleting the thread
and not reading it. DON'T gripe about the selectivity of other's, Their
Leica selectivity is just as valid as yours.  Q.E.D.
       --
       Roger Beamon,   Natural History Interpreter & Photographer
                                  Docent: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
                                  INTERNET: beamon@primenet.com