Re: [Leica] Another Lame Brian Bower Book

["Steve LeHuray" <icommag@toad.net>]

I agree, the Bower books are pretty lame and for the most part useless. I
recently bought the M book and Lens Book and felt that I had spent $70+ for
a Leica sales brochure. And, I would also like to see some book that
actually gives lens comparison. Another book recently out is Chester
Sartorius, The Leica Lens Book which lists every Leica lens ever made with a
picture and specs but the comments about each lens are quotes from Leica
brochures. Too bad because this could have been a classic book that would be
useful and be reprinted for years to come.
Steve
Annapolis
- ----------
>From: Dan S <dstate1@hotmail.com>
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: [Leica] Another Lame Brian Bower Book
>Date: Wed, Jun 23, 1999, 9:02 AM
>

>I just read the new Leica Lens book by Brian Bower at the book store and as 
>with his other books I am amazed at how superficial and basically pointless 
>this book is.
>
>Other than some nice pictures, some of which are rehashed from his older 
>books, there is basically no objective information about the performance of 
>Leica lenses.
>
>If you listen to him there is nary a defect in any Leica lens ever made!  I 
>also get the impression that he hasn't really used all the lenses he writes 
>about in much depth.  He seems to be an outside marketing tool for the 
>company but little else.
>
>It is a shame that few if any books have been written that actually compare 
>the performance of the lenses and use PHOTOGRAPHS to illustrate the 
>differences!  Certainly anyone looking to buy Leica lenses would appreciate 
>some direct comparison shots from lens to lens.  Even Erwin, a very fine 
>researcher no doubt, does little in the way of PHOTOGRAPHIC comparisons in 
>his reports.  They are typically TEXT.
>
>It certainly does not seem difficult to create these comparisons.  A person 
>like Bower who has already built a track record with a publisher willing to 
>print a high quality book (and presumably has access to a wide selection of 
>lenses) should have little trouble getting the job done if he were willing. 
>(obviously he is not)
>
>Wouldn't a series of high quality PHOTOGRAPHIC comparisons do a lot to take 
>the VooDoo out of this subject?
>
>Dan
>
>
>
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