Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/09/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 10:19 AM 9/3/01 -0700, Ted Grant wrote: > >It's general practice to look after professionals first, Leica, Canon or >Nikon and if there is gear or service techs available for rush amateur >service it happens. Some may not believe that, but that's the way it is. >Again it's the facts of life! > >As I suggested above, buy two camera bodies. Most amateur photographers I >know eventually have two bodies for any number of reasons, film types, lens, >whatever. Two comments. First, Nikon destroyed the professional market-share held by Leitz and Zeiss Ikon purely through setting up a responsive professional network, and only did this because of Joel Ehrenreich's foresight and genius. Professionals shifted in droves; in the 1980's, when Nikon had its financial horns pulled in by the Mitsubishi combine (yeah, yeah, the same guys who brought us the Zero Fighter), Canon jumped in and filled the gap, and the professional Nikon/Canon split went from something like 80% Nikon to 80% Canon in a matter of a few years. Nikon had to reinvigorate their professional support before they started to fight back, and they have yet to supplant Canon as the Top Dog. So, yes, this professional support is vital. (Zeiss Ikon is long gone, in measure due to its arrogance; Rolleiflex lost out when the TLR was forgotten as the prime photographic tool it is.) Second, I am an amateur who does an occasional pro shoot. I have two Leica M bodies available at any given moment (an M3 DS and an M6, at the moment, with a IIIc for a back-up). I also have a zillion other cameras available, ranging from a Baby Speed Graphic, three Rollieflex TLR's (2.8GX, 2.8F, Automat, Type III), two Contaflex bodies, six or seven Contaflex bodies, Ikoflices, Super Ikontas, a Hasselblad, lots of Prakticas, &c &c and yada yada yada. My point is that I have ample tools if something breaks, which means that almost nothing EVER breaks -- Harry Fleenor has my Rollei 35S at the moment, and I have a Werra 3 and a Praktica FX which need repaired, but these are hardly prime tools of my photography. The Leicas, the Rolleiflex TLR's, the Hasselblad, these ARE my tools, and they just don't break -- but only because I have back-ups! (I have had a Leica body go west on me immediately before a pro shoot, on ONE occasion. I simply picked up the spare and did the job. No hu-hu.) Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir!