[Leica] Pros, Leicas, and losing market share.

["Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" <peterk@lucent.com>]

Mark,

One reason that Leica may be losing the pro market is the wider range of
digital 35mm cameras being employed by newspapers.  Take a look around.
Between Nikon and Canon the Daily News in NY, NY Times, and many others are
digital these days.  

Forget skateborders, but autoeverything cameras are convenient.  There are
many wedding pros these days that are using Nikon F90s/F100 cameras and
EOS-1Ns with zooms.  As much as you and others may not like it, its true.
Take a look at the JFK Jr. wedding pix.  Denis Regie made them using a
EOS-1N and 28-70mm lens.  I know this because I know Denis and we have
discussed this.  He does also use a 'blad but loves the EOS-1n for what it
can do.  Hey don't get me wrong, I am not knocking an M camera.  They are
great for what they can do, but few wedding pros would even consider one.
They want fast AF and good TTL flash.  While I am sure there are probable a
few Leica R users that will indicate they use theirs for weddings, they are
few and far between.  Even look at Nat Geo.  Pop Photo had a write up on
their photogs and found that a great many (more than half) have moved away
from the Leica M camera.  WHY!  Because with an SLR, what you see is what
you get.  No compromise.

Peter K

- -----Original Message-----
From: Mark Rabiner [mailto:mrabiner@concentric.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 1999 11:55 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Pros


><Snip> 
> It may be a troll, Mark, but it's a bullseye as well. The Leica M is the
> ultimate pro camera that is used more by "non-pros" than by pros, because
> the majorit of today's pros have been forced by the demands of their jobs
to
> use autoeverything cameras.
> 
> B. D.

Any camera with a possible exception of a Sinar P has a thousand non pros
using
it for every pro.

It hasn't been established that Leica has lost market share with pros over
the
past autoeverything decade.
If it is true that Leica has lost market share to pro's which I doubt I
doubt is
it because the demands of their jobs required autoeverything cameras.
Talk to ten pros. How many of them have skate boarders rushing at them at a
million miles an hour with the light changing?
We've been though this before but...
	...and therefore feel they really need and do really need the modern
automation.
I suggest such fast breaking photography is not typical to most pros work
and
that they know it.
But the modern cameras are just to wonderful to pass up. They may not care.
I
used them for a few years and I feel I mastered them.

I say to the doubters, shoot with an M6 for a week or two and you'll find
out
why there is a long list of top pros who have that camera as their favored
one.
You want to tell these greats who we all know that their camera is not a pro
camera!
They will show you their ledger and their photos and look whimsical.
And there are less dramatic examples of pros who always have an M6 around
even
if it's not their main camera but wouldn't dream of leaving it at home. Lots
of
photogs are in that category.
The M6 remains the most desired and respected and used cameras among other
than dilettantes.

I had doubts in the beginning as was only going to use mine for my personal
work. What initially helped change it first and most was a current shot of a
war
photographer with a slew of M6's slung all around him. He had just been in a
war
was dodging bullets, diving in trenches and had brought back the shots as
always
with his Leica M6's.
Covered with dust and dirt and Leicas he looked serious, 
and professional.
Mark Rabiner