Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 02:08 PM 11/20/1999 -0000, Doug Richardson wrote: > >However, I suspect that opinions of the Contax have also >been influenced by the 1955 book "Miniature and Precision Cameras" by >J Lipinski, a volume which discusses at some depth the theory and >practical construction of the 35mm and 6x6cm camera, and in its day >was highly regarded as authoritative. Well, flatly, no. I am familiar with Lipinski's work and reputation, but the profession didn't follow his lead. The Contax, from the middle 1930's until its demise in 1960 was THE camera of choice for rough-country use, as it was more rugged and reliable than even the incredible LTM Leicas were. Combat photographers chose Contax, not Leica. Scientific and geographic expeditions used Contax, not Leica. Industrial photographers used Contax, not Leica. Even when Leica offered to GIVE gear away (something Zeiss Ikon never did), photographers chose to buy Contax rather than to use a gifted Leica. And this was partly because the lenses were perceived as so much better, and partly because the shutter mechanism was seen as more sturdy than was the Leica shutter. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!