Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/11/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Someone is making the assumption that Leica knows and cares what we say here. >I doubt it. Let me tell a little story. I visited Solm back in 2005 and went on the factory tour. Some old timer gave us the tour of a basically empty facility. It was a work day but there didn't seem to be anyone working. The old timer was going on and on about how superior Leica was and how it was too good for 99.5% of the people who use cameras. (I made up the 99.5%figure because I don't remember the exact percentage -- maybe it was 95% or 99.8% -- but if you get the point then the exact percentage doesn't matter.) He was pretty sure of himself whatever the number was. Now I am convinced that Leica forged ahead with the M8 with virtually no input from that 99.5% (i.e., the real world) and, we now know, with little to no real hands on testing by real world photographers -- other then, I suppose, by a select few whose blind acceptance that they could count on. This arrogance resulted in a flawed camera being released, I guess, because someone thought the dumb masses (i.e., the real world) wouldn't notice -- and that they would fall over themselves to get their lunch hooks on one matter they came out with. And this lack of real world input resulted in a camera that some will never buy -- at any price -- no matter how technical perfect it may be (or become) because it is nowhere near a worthy or useful successor to the film M cameras.. The couple year dance of anticipation with Leica over a digital M has now evaporated. Momma was right. No romance lasts forever... Dave. -- My Photography: http://www.david-keenan.com My Blog: http://www.david-keenan.com/euroblog