[Leica] Surprises at Photokina

[drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers)]

Slobodan,

I think one way you adapt is to keep your equipment updated with the
latest and greatest technology. IMO, that's an area where photography
has changed more than anything. 

Everything has evolved so much. Leica photography used to be a niche.
Rangefinder photography often had a unique character. I don't know if it
was because the photographers who migrated to the platform had unique
talents; or if it was because Leica rangefinders were a step (or stop)
or two better than any other option; or because of a combination of
those and other factors. But much of my favorite documentary photography
seemed to have been done by photographers using Leica. 

I don't think Leica rangefinder photography is unique or a niche today.
At least not like it once was. For one thing Leica rangefinders were
tool of choice for low light photography. Now it seems the competition
may be a step or stop ahead; because of chips and image processing, and
not lenses. 

I never really thought that "sharpness" or the ability to resolve line
pairs set Leica apart. It was wide open performance and bokeh. You
really don't hear much about bokeh with digital. And wide open
performance has been replaced with how far you can push a chip/processor
ISO-wise. 

Performance advantages used to be tiered and relatively stable and Leica
was at the top. Today the playing field is more level. Any advantage is
short lived. Regarding users, there's still a talent gap. But technology
has made it easier for those with less talent to do more acceptable
work. 

DaveR

-----Original Message-----
From: slobodan dimitrov [mailto:s.dimitrov@charter.net] 
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 1:06 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Surprises at Photokina

That's a similar situation to the earlier wonking about desktop  
publishing. In the end one still needed a professional.
The only thing that the squashing of photo prices shows me is how  
mush more valuable photography has become. The real question is  
really how does one adapt to the new demands of the market place. The  
big if is how to figure out how to apply what Coca-Cola, Eastman, and  
Ford did with their products and transpose that to photography,  
without becoming a schlock shop.
s.d.


On Sep 11, 2008, at 9:44 AM, Lottermoser George wrote:

> Not only does "charlie" have a digital camera (so 'we' don't have  
> to hire a pro); but his wife has InDesign and Illustrator with a  
> bunch of free templates on her computer (so 'we' don't have to hire  
> a pro designer either).
> Together, they're an untrained, inexperienced power to be reckoned  
> with.