Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/07/10

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To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: Ansel Adams
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@gp.magick.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 19:36:11 -0700

At 04:32 PM 7/10/96 -0400, you wrote:
>At 02:55 PM 7/10/96 -0400, Chris Fortunko wrote:

>Whoa!  Adams consistently knocked MF and miniature format cameras until
>Leica GAVE him one.  Afterwards, he taught for many, many years at the Leica
>School and was a convinced Leica fanatic.
>
>How quickly we forget ...

Wait a minute. Adams was always an advocate of miniature cameras for
decades. His favorite portrait of Alfred Stieglitz was taken with a Contax
and 50mm lens Contax had sent him for testing. He even said that he didn't
like the Leica as much except for the shutter being more reliable than the
Contax. I can quote chapter and verse if you want. <G>

That was in the 30s. Can you actually point out when Leica gave him a
camera? I doubt it happened any time before the 80s, because he was a
stalwart Contax user of their rangefinders until he got their SLRs, and used
them into the 70s at least. Mabye after that he became a Leica nut, but he
also went through a Nikon phase before that. He always did like Zeiss glass,
even their large format stuff. (He was also a big advocate for Hassleblad up
until he couldn't carry them.) You sure you got the right Adams? This is the
funny bald guy who looked like a troll and play Chopin like crazy on the
Piano. :-)

===================
Eric Welch
Grants Pass (OR) Daily Courier
NPPA Region 11 JIB chair

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