[Leica] a serious question

[photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Philip Forrest)]

Well, "water seeks its own level" and as we're a community of Leica
owners, collectors, users and general pundits, we are heavily invested
in our equipment both financially and emotionally. I know I am. I've
been to hell and back with my M4. Destroyed it and rebuilt by myself. I
won't give up that camera for anything. What I'm saying is that amongst
my peer group in age, everybody thinks that I am well-off because I own
a beat-up M4 with a few used Leica lenses. They see "Leica" and they go
onto a camera worship thing "ooohh, Leica, I'd love one of those but
they are just too expensive." And that's the truth. Leica is first a
business which has to answer to its share-holders long before the
people who use the cameras. It is viewed as a company which caters to
photo hobbyists that have disposable income. If you look at the number
of Leica camera users around the world, I'm pretty sure that's the
group you'll find. Yes, this isn't a hard, fast rule, but it is the
norm. Leica is jewelery that makes photos. That is how the camera is
viewed. This coming from a very poor college student in class with many
students that can afford to buy several M8's per year; mostly on their
parents' dime. It's just a cult of exclusivity, if you as me. And I
bought into it.
PhilFo