Re: [Leica] Leica and 15 year old technology

[apbc <apbc@public1.sta.net.cn>]

Jim Brick wrote 

>So what technology is 15 years old?

Jim,

I think your post was well considered and made a number of interesting 
points about the philosophical side of your photography. I would fully 
concur that the automation and technological tour de force such cameras 
as the F5 and EOS1n embody does take away some of the pleasure of the 
photographic experience: this is one of the reasons I seek to use my M 
cameras as much as possible in my work and almost exclusively for my 
personal projects.

However the issue of 15 year old technology was one I broached by way of 
lamenting the Leica R series for getting ever further behind its 
erstwhile competitors as a pro camera option. 20 years ago Leica slrs 
were only(!) 30 - 50% more expensive than the Nikon or Canon pro cameras 
(and I speak in terms of overall cost including lenses and accessories) 
and in terms of day to day usage there was not such a  clear cut 
advantage in using one over the others. Nowadays they are far more 
expensive, particularly the lenses (which for me would be the major part 
of expenditure in switching) with the 70-180 for example being 3 to 5 
times more expensive than the Canon 70-200, which is more than sufficient 
to produce 'pro-quality' images - though of course you and I might prefer 
the Leica optic... 

As time has gone by a lot has changed in terms of what pros use and in 
each of the following areas Leica has lagged behind further and further: 
lenses - most pros use fast zooms nowadays; exposure - most pros make use 
of sophisticated matrix meters at least some of the time; flash - 
particularly since colour is the usual medium for pro photography these 
days and well balanced fill flash is often required: a camera that helps 
there (with good TTL control and fast sync) is extremely beneficial; 
motors - fast and quiet winding and rewinding are par for the course 
these days.

Now it is indeed important to feel comfortable using the tools of your 
trade but it is far more important in professional photography to come up 
with THE picture: i.e. the one the other guys did not get if you are 
talking about an elbow to elbow crush of photographers or the one you 
know you could/should have got if you are on your own. 

To use equipment that is, for want of a better description, more basic 
technically such as the Leica M or R is in some cases a valid and 
refreshing approach. OTOH if, like a true professional, you really know 
the tools of your trade a more sophisticated and automated camera such as 
an EOS1n can offer you whole new possibilities. The level of interaction 
with the camera can help or hinder the process of getting the picture and 
there are certainly occasions where fiddling with the focus, aperture 
ring and shutter speeds of my M camera - not to mention the far slower 
process of winding and reloading film - has prevented me from getting THE 
picture; conversely the sheer size and weight of an EOS rig is a 
hindrance to getting a lot of photos.

I am attracted to the R series primarily because of the lenses, 
particularly the wider ones where I feel my Canon ones are weakest, but 
also because they might be a greater pleasure to work with and complement 
the M cameras I love. However there are for me a number of areas where 
the R series is IMHO wanting and would represent an unacceptable 
sacrifice for me in achieving photographs in situations where my Canons 
have performed successfully. This is not a matter of right or wrong just 
a matter of what works for whom and when I say what I would like to see 
in a Leica R I think I am also speaking for colleagues with whom I 
discussed the subject and who are like me potentially big customers (I 
have a 13 lens, 6 body Canon system). I realise of course that I am 
bitching to the converted so know what is coming to me when I post here! 
OTOH there are those like yourself for whom the image is the thing and 
with whom it is a great pleasure to converse across the internet, and 
hopefully in real life too! 

Best regards,

Adrian

(who might just shell out for an R8 and try it for a while anyway!)

Adrian Bradshaw
Photojournalist
Shanghai, China