[Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x

[bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)]

I realize that not all M3s are under glass or somewhere in the mud of
Vietnam. But, as I suspected, your statements are based on talks with
necessarily small numbers of people, over many years. Yes, M2s still
sell, though their prices have dropped precipitously over the past
several years, and the prices of M4s - which were outrageously high -
have dropped even more markedly. If, as you suggest, most Leica owners
eschew all modern features, I doubt that Leica would have introduced the
M6 - let alone the M7, particularly after the M5 debacle. (And there's
an example that almost proves your point ;-))

While Leica acquiring is a disease for some, I would guess - just as you
have guessed - that most Leica owners have a single body and own, at
absolute most, three lenses; I'd guess most owners have one or two. 

And yes, I have over the years had other Leica owners approach me to ask
me about my Ms - but far more often I've had people ask "what's that?"
;-)

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Don Dory
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 8:42 PM
To: 'Leica Users Group'
Subject: RE: [Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x


B.D.
While unscientific in scope, my comments were based on comments by many
Leica users over the years.  First qualifier, non professional use:
professional use of the M series has been declining since the mid
sixties.

Second, look at the market for older Leica equipment.  M2-M4's are still
selling near the $1000 point for clean examples.  If people were not
using them, then what is going on?  I am not considering the special
black paint mint in box stuff, just the nice condition users.  All those
cameras are not used consistently, but many are used occasionally.

Third, the Leica affliction seems to be a disease.  When you find
someone using a Leica, they invariably have two or more at home.  Surely
when you were out with your Leica, people came up and told you about
their cameras.

As to my comments regarding the new stuff, for every Ted that is
delighted by his ability to shoot in AE, there is another who is just a
happy to sunny 16 her Tri-X.  Leica made what 250,000 M3's and about
70,000 M6's of various flavors over twenty years.  Not all of the M3's
are under glass or somewhere in the mud of Vietnam.

Don
dorysrus@mindspring.com

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf
Of B. D. Colen
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 8:26 AM
To: 'Leica Users Group'
Subject: RE: [Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x

Hi, Don - While I certainly agree with your final assessment - 
"The best thing that could happen to Leica would be Nikon coming out
with a digital rangefinder and Cosina buying Leica to profit on the
coattails.  Life would be really grand if Canon introduced their own to
take the profits out of Nikon. As B.D. keeps telling us, it is just a
machine that performs a function. Enjoy the machine for what it does," I
can't help wondering where you get these factoids:

*Most Leica users have more than one body but don't work professionally
where that is really necessary.  

*Most (Leica users) can get along quite nicely without an exposure meter
or flash.

*Most of us have chosen Leica precisely because it is an all manual
device.

*End users are not sure that they like the new product better than the
old (in regard to the new glass versus the old)

I suspect - if there's research to the contrary, I'd love to see it -
that while much of what you have written may - may - be true for the
people on this list, it is not true of people who have been buying new
Leica equipment over the past 15 years. Were it, Leica would not have
bothered putting a meter in the M4 to release it as the M6; would not
have put TTL circuitry into the M6; and certainly would not have
released the M7 with AE.

And in terms of preferring old lenses to new - only if one wants glass
with 'old-fashioned' defects, rather than flare-free, sharp, contrasty
glass that provide a 'finger printless' WYSIWG image.

B. D.

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