Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Leica & Contax test
From: "Bruce Feldman" <brucef@waw.pdi.net>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 18:53:37 +0200

>Mikiro
>Strasbourg, France said:
>
>Hi, Bruce.
>I have a different impression.  I got one of those used G1's on the shelves
>and used it for two years in Tokyo (along with two M6).  I for one got a G
>because I wanted a small camera with which I can use small "Zeiss" lenses.
>It was not a substitute for an M

Mikiro,
I'm sure you'd agree that there are many more non-pro G owners than pro;
also that there are many more G owners who do not *also* own an M than those
who do.  Therefore, I think it's a mistake to use a sample of such pros to
generalize about the reasons for ownership for the entire group.  I think
that *most* people who bought Gs were buying a "Leica-Lite," and were
encouraged to think that way.

I would also note that, in general, pros make narrower niche distinctions
than do non-pros.  For example, you could say that an M-4P and an M-6 fill
different niches.  I know lots of people who use the meter-free camera for
print films and the meter-bound/meter-laden (--grin--) one for chromes.  So
I guess it depends, too, on what we -- or a manufacturer -- is willing to
call a niche.

>IMO, there are more G's than M's on used camera shop shelves partly because
>by far the larger number of G's are sold in Japan that is, nevertheless,
>the world's largest market for M6.  In my favorite shops in Tokyo, the
shelves
>are full of Leicas and fewer G's (That is why they are my favorites  :-))

My point was not how many Gs are on the shelves compared to Ms.  I was more
amused by the large number of Gs that started showing up on the
used-equipment shelves after only a short time after being introduced.

Regards,
Bruce Feldman
Warsaw