Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Steve, as a contributing editor to the Viewfinder I can supply material I think is interesting. The material on page 2 of last Viewfinder was not supplied by me. Our editor went to the Voigtlander Press Conference at Photokina and got the material there! The article about Cosina's factory is of interest to the LHSA readers as I was allowed in to Cosina's glass making plant (Leica does not have one of these anymore) and I wanted to show that glass making is not a clinical operation. It is blasting furnaces and flying dust and a lot of handwork. I am lucky that Mr Kobyashi and his staff are willing to spend time with me. Think about it yourself, if you are a photographer (and gear head)! and you get to sit down with the people who can design new lenses, new cameras and accessories and you have a discussion with them. They ask your opinion and you can suggest things and it is done in a friendly and informal manner. Would you say that "No thanks, that would not interest me at all!" Over the years I have visited Leica Wetzlar and Solms quite regularly and gotten to know several of the people there. They do the same thing, often the discussion can be about new products, potential problems with the current products or improvements to current models. Any manufacturer will do this, sometimes they have Focus-Groups, large groups of people, often with little or know connection to the product whose opinions are asked for. Sometimes this is good, but with a product like a camera or a lens, it is also important to talk to users and I do not flatter myself into thinking that I have changed any major part of a design, but I am one of the people that is asked. Sure, it is an ego-trip to be asked and occasionally recognise a minute change on a product later one. "Hey, I was one of the people who suggested that!". This does not qualify as a "paid Consultant" - so far only benefit has been some lunches at Leica Solms Cafeteria (a mixed pleasure) and the possibility to aquire Cosina stuff early and at a dealer price (and I do not resell any of these pieces). I am a photographer first and foremost, I like cameras and optics and if I find something that I like why should I not tell other photographers about it! Just to make your day, I also have a 4 page article in the next Viewfinder about Cuba - all of it shot with Leica M2's and pre-1960's 35/2, 50/2 and 90/2,8 (all made by Leica). There is a 1-page announcement about the Bessa-T, but considering that it is a M-mount camera, it does have significance to the Viewfinder reader. Now go out and shoot some film, I will. Tom A