[Leica] Three new PAWs from two countries

[fmaturana at euskalnet.net (Félix López de Maturana)]

>Karen Nakamura9/9/04
>A Canon 20D with a good L lens amortized over 5 years is  $500/year.
>Many LUGers shoot less than $500 worth of film a year and their
>cameras last over 50 years, so they're essentially free.
>
>You have stated an economic truth.
>The idea of digital shooting 'being free' doesn't hold up except in the
moment of shooting. You pay upfront for the technology. It has next to no
amorization value. The smartest thing one could do is to turn >everything
techy around every 6 months. Take the 30% hit. If you hang on to it for a
year 50% loss. Two years 75% loss. 3 or more years 98% loss. That goes for
scanners computers, screens, drives, >digicams, mp3 players, phones, et al.
>
>
>Fond regards,

This could be true just if you are a pro. Otherwise I do not consider
photography as an investment that would need to calculate payback schedule.
It's merely, IMHO, a personal expense that if not used is not an intelligent
expense, but the term of profitability regarding a hobby sound strange to
me. Not using a expensive camera is a stupidity not a loss.  Not using it
enaugh is a loss but the loss of a better and more pleasent use for your
money.

This is a important matter concerning the Leica brand. Their products are
too expensive. There are other tools which could do the job nearly as well
as the Leica tools. Why spending so much? I have some answers. Because you
love the true "best" and buying a Leica get it at the price of losing some
money for, let's say, a new TV set or anything you wish. If you pay more
than for a Nikon you have less money for other things unless you are the
Sultan of Brunei -who by the way is selling properties beeing short of
money-. Other reason is that you are ready for paying a huge ammount of
money to show other you are rich and VIP. And finally you may wish a
reliable excellent photographic tool for your phtographic time and add to
the pleasure of ownership  the excellence of perfect tool.This is my case.

As a pro, and I was a economist, is a mathenatical calculculation comparing
expenses and incomes forecasted along time of the life of the camera. It's
trully simple and I don't think Leica is favored and this is the main reason
you see so few pros with Leicas.

Felix