Re: M6 problems

[Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>]

Hans Pahlen wrote:
> I wonder how many F5-owners there still are out there carrying photobags
> full of spare batterys, beleiving that their camera should function like
> that... After all, we are dealing with highly priced, professional cameras!)

Hans:
Both of my studio mates, on release of the F5 switched back from Canon
to Nikon.  One has since switched back.  He bought a F5, not even an
early one, plus several lenses including the 600mm F/4, a lens that
costs $11,500.  He has had so much trouble he has sent the whole system
back and returned to Canon (the new 600mm arrived yesterday).  

I saw images from the 600 that looked like they were taken through the
end of a Coke bottle.  Nothing in focus.  Just element out of alignment,
I think.  Nikon drug feet and in general ignored his problem or
discounted it.  

Body had multiple problems.  

Either we are expecting too much or we are being shortchanged by ALL the
manufacturers.  And I think this includes strobes, stands, reflectors. 
Everything is so price conscious that no one can afford to do good
manufacturing.  

And we need so much equipment as photographers to keep up with
assignment demands, that we can't just have a couple bodies and
lenses..We need tens of thousands of $$ worth of equipment.    So buy
the absolutely finest equipment money could manufacturer would cost
maybe hundreds of thousands--and the market would not bear that much.  

I've heard that if the M6 was built like the M3, it would have to cost
many thousands of dollars.  Today we live with more disposable quality.

Anyway, the point of my post is that no manufacturer is immune from
problems.  Leica is not alone.  All are fighting the price/quality
challenge.
Just like we are as photographers.

Donal Philby
San Diego