Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2016/01/31

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Subject: [Leica] Leica users group, LUG, so what does that mean?
From: gerry.walden at icloud.com (Gerry Walden)
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2016 22:20:33 +0000
References: <99C383F0-9221-4FFA-847B-5C0227241CA9@gmail.com> <56AE7CFE.5060809@lighttube.net>

When I switched away from leica gear some 12 years ago I said I should leave 
the LUG but was told that it was a Leica state of mind that was important. 
This is my ?family? and that came home to me very solidly when my dear wife 
died on a trip to meet fellow LUG members in Barcelona. The support I 
received in person from Lluis, Greg and others will never be forgotten by 
both me and my daughters. It got us through a very difficult time, and 
nothing was too much trouble. I will be eternally grateful for that - that 
is ?family?!

I am back to using Leica now because it is a state of mind: you eiether get 
it or you don?t.

Gerry


> On 31 Jan 2016, at 21:30, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> wrote:
> 
> Steve,
> 
> I agree with most of what you say, but the LUG serves as a source of 
> information and camaraderie for many of us, regardless of the name or 
> point of origin.  To quote some ancient philosopher, "If it ain't broke, 
> don't fix it".
> 
> I started out with used Leica gear more than sixty years ago.  Why? 
> Because I did my due diligence and found it to be the best that I could 
> afford.  It served me well.  But, while raising a family, I limited my 
> purchases, and found used gear of other brands that served my needs.  
> Then, as film processors disappeared with the advent of digital, I looked 
> for a digital camera.  I found Olympus and Fuji gear that was adaptable, 
> for much less investment than Leica's products.  I even purchased 
> previously-owned Leica-R lenses to use with these cameras, because I still 
> loved the quality of Leica lenses. But, for amateur  use, I cannot justify 
> new Leica gear at today's prices.
> 
> I enjoy reading of the experiences of others who do choose to buy and use 
> the new gear, and try to keep abreast of the times.  And, I think our past 
> dedication to Leica products keeps this list intact and functional, 
> regardless of the name on the camera we are currently holding in our hands.
> 
> Just my 2 cents.
> 
> Jim Nichols
> Tullahoma, TN USA
> 
> On 1/31/2016 2:56 PM, Steve Barbour wrote:
>> Leica users group, LUG,  what does that mean?  Several individuals have 
>> confided to me recently, "it?s really a state of mind?.  Let?s face it, 
>> there are few offerings of interest from Leica these days, that we can 
>> afford, or desire to, while more and more  we all find great offerings 
>> from many other camera and lens makers. We all insist we are leica 
>> devotees, yet many of us, if not most, are using other makers' cameras 
>> and lenses. We often find that leica lenses from the past, actually work 
>> as well on other makers current camera bodies, sometimes better than on 
>> leica?s own bodies. We publish a wonderful yearly book of photos, that we 
>> call the LUG yearbook, yet insist that the photos can come from any and 
>> all camera/lens sources,  and images do originate from many other 
>> sources. We criticize robustly, even occasionally correctly, the 
>> offerings from Leica, their appearance, technical details, prices, yet we 
>> remain here and claim to be Leica users. So what is it that we have in 
>> common, that keeps here in this group, why do we self identify as Leica 
>> users ?
>> 
>> There are some truly great photographers here, not because they use 
>> leicas, other reasons may exist. We really are a community, sometimes 
>> even a family, occasionally very dysfunctional. Some of the most 
>> opinionated among us use leicas, or used to, or desire to, even though at 
>> present that use is limited, or nonexistent.
>> 
>> We are at present, among the most capable, open minded, flexible, sure of 
>> ourselves, opinionated, fractious, difficult, stuck up shooters that 
>> exist.
>> 
>> It may be time to talk.
>> 
>> 
>> steve
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



Replies: Reply from steve.barbour at gmail.com (Steve Barbour) ([Leica] Leica users group, LUG, so what does that mean?)
Reply from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] Leica users group, LUG, so what does that mean?)
In reply to: Message from steve.barbour at gmail.com (Steve Barbour) ([Leica] Leica users group, LUG, so what does that mean?)
Message from jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] Leica users group, LUG, so what does that mean?)