[Leica] ORIGINS AND QUALITIES

[Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>]

Folks,

I guess many of you have been wondering why I have been hammering the early
patent-theft question with such vehemence.  Well, it is a simple matter of
re-adjusting head-space as necessary.  That is, "conventional wisdom" tells
us that the Japanese optical companies, especially Nikon and Canon, won the
market through superior products at a lower price.

This isn't true.  These companies produced a quality product at a
competitive price, and understood marketing in a way I suspect no German
ever could -- please note that Volkswagen didn't catch on until they hired
an American marketing firm.  These Japanese companies evaluated the market
and worked to earn a share of that which, due to foolishness of all sorts
and conditions on the part of the German companies, caused their effective
demise.

I did my undergraduate work at a college where I was constantly confronted
with the Lee family motto, OMNIA AUTEM PROBATE ("Always prove everything"),
and so I am a bit nervous with "conventional wisdom".  There are solid
reasons why the Japanese beat the Germans, but these reasons do NOT include
some inherent superiority in Japanese optics nor do they include some
secret virtue.  They do include a lot of attention to detail, hard work,
and a careful assessment of the US market.

In a similar vein, folks, be careful of claiming Leica "perfection".  Leitz
and Leica have produced a family of cameras which are wonderful and their
optics are great, especially all those just-out, hot-off-the-press lenses
which I cannot afford but which some of us actually own!  But Leica lenses
are as bound to the laws of optical fact as are the lenses of any other
manufacturer -- no one can shoot a great picture with a 90mm lens hand-held
at 1/15" regardless!  (And, yes, the other night I did a professional
shoot, and, yes, I did some pictures with my 2/90 and 2.8/90 at 1/15"
hand-held -- but I braced myself, hard, against a wall, and prayed a lot.
And, yes, some of the pictures are adequate for printing when enlarged to
8" by 10" -- but they are not perfect!)

Let's keep our balance.  Don't believe everything you hear, question what
you believe to be true, and make your mind up for yourself.  If Leica suits
your needs, so be it.  If Nikon suits your needs, so be it.  Go forth and
take some pictures, and let's end this endless debate about origins and
qualities!

Marc


msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!