Re: [Leica] Guido's station wagon (off topic) :-)

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

At 12:33 PM 2/7/98 +0100, Guido  wrote:
>
>AF in photography is like a "station wagon" in  car world;
>it is useful for the week end, you can load foods, bikes,
>mother-in-law, dogs, and have fun with your family, The AF
>is useful (not indispensable) for professional sport shots
>and it is indispensable for sundays snapshooters... :-)
>Remember it's not easy to drive a Ferrari, but if learn, you
>can taste the spirit of the speed...(not the spirit to load
>a lorry :-))
>
>       Guido Ridoli

Careful Guido... ;-) I drive a station wagon. A BMW station wagon. BMW V8,
and a bunch of other cool stuff. It easily passes by 125MPH like it wasn't
there. And is absolutely stable at any speed. Much like a Ferrari. It was
designed to drive fast, over freeway or mountain roads, with perfect
controllability. A station wagon is nothing more than a sedan with the back
bumped "out" instead of "in". It faithfully carries, not only my Linhof 4x5
system, but my Leica system as well and provides really easy access. I
stumbled upon this car in '94 (it was a special "factory" car at a very
very good price) so I grabbed it. It'll be paid off this year. :-) Like my
Leicas I plan on keeping this car forever. It's a perfect fit for my wife
and me, my Linhof, and my Leica equipment. I can drive up and down the
California coast (where I live) with cameras mounted on tripods for easy
access.

I relate my BMW wagon (they call it "touring") to my Leica. Built to do the
job of driving, without having to worry about it's capabilities. No
compromise driving. My Leicas are the same. Built to withstand the rigors
of long and hard use without worrying about their capabilities. No
compromise photography.

When photographing with a Leica, you know it can do the job. As with
anything, driving and photographing, the skill of the user plays an
important part in the equation. Practice practice practice.

BMW, "The Ultimate Driving Machine." 
Leica, "The Ultimate Photography Machine."

Other than the station wagon ;-) that was a great post Guido...

Jim