Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/02/29

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To: Jack Hamilton <Jack.Hamilton@internetmci.com>
Subject: Re: Leica...of the future...
From: Ed Hackett <edh@maxey.dri.edu>
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 21:50:03 -0800 (PST)
Cc: "leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us" <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>

On Sun, 25 Feb 1996, Jack Hamilton wrote:

> I think that "prototype" of the Leica of the future has come onto the
> market...and it's termed "Leica Mini-lux."
> 
> Now I'm not talking about their $200-300 plastic "toys" that Leica refers
> to as "Mini."

hey, Hey, HEY!  I resemble that remark.  I'll not have you refer to my 
Leica as a _toy_.  Get your terminology correct, it's "PPS PHD" Leica 
(Pressed Pig Shit, Push Here Dummy).  PPS being a technical, materials 
science term describing the polymer used in making the body. :-) 

Uh oh, now that I've admitted that my Leica is only a Mini II, I'm 
probably going to get thrown off the list.

> These gremlins have mastered the art of designing and using German glass
> and lens coatings and then supervising them being put into Japanese 
> (Panasonic) built bodies.
 
Indeed they have.  The lens in the Mini is outstanding for it's class.  
One of my greatest triumphs as a photographer was due to a picture taken 
with my Mini.  I was in the camera store picking up some enlargements of 
my girl friend (now wife) taken of her sitting on rock steps covered with 
fall leaves.  As I've come to expect from even that lowly Leica, there is 
a sense of depth and "presence" to the pictures that you don't see with 
most other cameras.  There was a professional photographer in the store 
who was at that moment badmouthing Leica for being to expensive and not 
really having better optics.  I turned to him and said that they were 
really better, and even the Mini was quite good.  I showed him the picture 
and his jaw dropped.  He looked at it for a minute and said, "You took 
_that_ with a Point and Shoot?!"  I just smiled.
 
> I think that Leica was testing the waters with the "Mini-Lux" and you will
> soon probably see the version of it with interchangeable lenses...and a
> price tag competitive with the Contax G series.
> 
> ...AND SO...
> 
> Enter the Leica CL2...

Where do I get in line?  That would be the perfect camera for me.
The Mini is a toy compared to the rest of the line, but it's made a 
believer out of me. There's going to be a real Leica in my hands someday.

If anybody is interested, I'd be glad to give a review of the Mini II.  
If you're thinking of getting a camera in that class, it's certainly 
worth checking out.

 Ed Hackett   edh@maxey.dri.edu           The Desert Research Institute 
 DoD #0200  WMTC  BMWRA  DIOC             Reno, Nevada   (702) 673-7380   
 KotLS  KotLE  DotD #0003            I'm not really a chemist, I'm just one of
 BMW K100RS, Moto Morini Camel       them motorsickle sonsabitches.  __=o&o>__


Replies: Reply from Brian Reid <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> (Re: Leica...of the future...)
Reply from Gary J Toop <gtoop@uoguelph.ca> (Re: Leica...of the future...)
Reply from "joe b." <joe@azurite.demon.co.uk> (Leica...of the cheap plastic variety...)
In reply to: Message from Jack Hamilton <Jack.Hamilton@internetMCI.COM> (Leica...of the future...)