Re: Bruckner Edition M6

[jredfern@ftn.net (J. Redfern)]

As far as collector's editions of the M cameras go, I am left unfazed. As
the poster says if they can wrap an off the shelf camera in fancy leather
and sell it for a premium then, indeed, all power to them.
        Where I disagree wholeheartedly, is with the cries for a new and
improved Leica M. I couldn't care less if others see my Leicas as
anachronisms or out of date. My Leicas vary in age between 10 and 40 years
and do what I need them to do.
        I do not, in any way, see the Contax G1/G2  type cameras as a
threat to the M series and am always left a tad flummoxed when people start
rattling off wish lists of improvements to be implemented on the "next"
version of the M body. If only a fraction of these improvements were added,
we'd have a battery dependant shoebox with features that would leave a
Nikon F5 electro-brick thirsty; at which point, IMHO, we would have run out
of reasons for buying a Leica in the first place. Let's not forget that
Leica M cameras sell very well at their ludicrous prices, so they must be
doing something right.
        I use them because they are built like panzer tanks with some very
fine optics and I know that they will work in any conditions that I accept
to expose myself to. The same cannot be said for the "cutting edge" wonder
bricks.
        The only "improvement that I would care to see implemented would be
an increase in the flash sync speed. Other than that, leave it alone.
J.Redfern

>At 05:51 PM 11/12/96 -0700, you wrote:
>>I really fail to see the reason for having a Bruckner M6. Next, we will have
>>a Mozart M6. What we really need is an M7.
>>
>My problem with Leica is not that they make collector's editions--if they
>can, with little effort,  add blue leather and engraving to an M6 and sell
>it for $10000, more power to them.  The same for the chrome lenses--as long
>as the premium they charge for them more than covers the costs of the change
>in the metal used to make them.  My problem is that that money ought to go
>to rejuvenate the M series, as you say--and it doesn't seem to.  Wonderful
>as it is, the M6 is a bit of a joke to some non-Leica users, because it is
>essentially identical to a design from the '60s, and these camera buffs see
>chrome lenses and another collector's edition instead of a much-needed new
>camera.  We users surely don't want Leica to become a cute anachronism (as,
>unfortunately, Rollei has treated its TLR).   (To avoid a fiery death, I
>want to make clear that I love the M6--I own one--but Leica needs to update
>it, or the Contax G1-2 and other rumored new RF systems are going to
>endanger its survival.)
>Charles E. Love, Jr.
>CEL14@CORNELL.EDU