Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01BEAD42.232003A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS PERSONAL OPINIONS WHICH MAY CAUSE = TEMPORARY BLINDNESS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Just got off the phone with the department of consumer affairs, and here = is the deal. A refurbished item cannot -- repeat CANNOT -- be resold as a demo. The = store must warn you before purchase that it is refurbished, at least in = the state of New Jersey. So what Leica USA told Dave and Harrison isn't true. You don't have to take crap from them. If you feel you have been = deceived ,and the situation hasn't been resolved to your satisfaction, = send an e-mail to Solms. If this doesn't work, file a complaint with the = department of consumer affairs. It may be the only way to get Leica USA = to change this practice. =20 - ------ =20 Pascal, =20 Don't take it the wrong way -- I personally don't agree with his views = on the subject, but believe me he didn't want anything but the best for = the company. He left Leica because in his opinion the company wasn't = moving in the right direction. He thought the Japanese were always one = step ahead.=20 A few of his designs are still being used today on the Leica M system = and have been copied by another manufacturer, Mamiya. He was highly = regarded at Wetzlar -- if I recall they even gave him a pre-production = MP. Leica was part of his long and succesful career as a = photojournalist/editor/consultant. Personally, I think the Leica R8 is a great camera but not a landmark = design -- and can hardly be called state of the art. Some R lenses are outstanding but the same can be said for those made by = Nikon, Canon, Contax ... I belong to a segment of users who uses Leica mainly because of the M = cameras, and I also prefer the bokeh and color transmision of the older = M lenses. The new lenses are too sharp, razor sharp, and too contrasty = ,and some are not necessarily better than the old ones... For instance, = some retrofocus-type wide-angle lenses Another example I've mentioned = in the past is the old 50 mm elmar f3.5, which stopped down will = frecuently outperform a lens of a more complex design on a sunny day -- = optical correction and MC is of little help in this situation.=20 Leica right now has the chance to take away some Nikon and Canon = costumers. Even though their lenses are considerably more expensive = than the competition, an R8 is about the same price as the top of the = line bodies of its rivals in the US. Whether they will take advantage = of this situation remains to be seen.=20 Regards, Robert=20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 - ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01BEAD42.232003A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = http-equiv=3DContent-Type><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 = HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML = PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 = HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML = PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 = HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"><!DOCTYPE HTML = PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.71.1712.3"' name=3DGENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS = PERSONAL=20 OPINIONS WHICH MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY BLINDNESS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS = ADVISED.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Just got off the phone with the = department of=20 consumer affairs, and here is the deal.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>A refurbished item cannot -- repeat = CANNOT -- be=20 resold as a demo. The store must warn you before purchase = that <U>it=20 is refurbished</U>, at least in the state of New Jersey.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>So what Leica USA told Dave and Harrison isn't=20 true.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>You don't have to take crap from them. If you feel = you have=20 been deceived ,and the situation hasn't been resolved to your = satisfaction, send=20 an e-mail to Solms. If this doesn't work, file a complaint with the = department=20 of consumer affairs. It may be the only way to get Leica USA to = change=20 this practice.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT color=3D#000000 = size=3D2>------</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2>Pascal,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2>Don't take it the wrong = way -- I=20 personally don't agree with his views on the subject, but believe me he = didn't=20 want anything but the best for the company. He left Leica because in his = opinion=20 the company wasn't moving in the right direction. He thought the = Japanese=20 were always one step ahead. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2>A few of his designs are = still being=20 used today on the Leica M system and have been copied by another = manufacturer,=20 Mamiya. He was highly regarded at Wetzlar -- if I recall they even = gave=20 him a pre-production MP. Leica was part of his long and succesful = career=20 as a photojournalist/editor/consultant.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2>Personally, I think the = Leica R8 is a=20 great camera but not a landmark design -- and can hardly be called state = of the=20 art.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Some R lenses are outstanding but the same can be = said for=20 those made by Nikon, Canon, Contax ...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I belong to a segment of users who uses Leica = mainly=20 because of the M cameras, and I also prefer the <FONT color=3D#000000=20 face=3D"">bokeh</FONT> and color transmision of the older M = lenses. The new=20 lenses are too sharp, razor sharp, and too contrasty ,and some are not=20 necessarily better than the old <FONT color=3D#000000>ones... For = instance,=20 some retrofocus-type wide-angle lenses Another example I've = mentioned in=20 the past is the old 50 mm elmar f3.5, which stopped down will frecuently = outperform a lens of a more complex design on a sunny day -- optical = correction=20 and MC is of little help in this situation.</FONT></FONT><FONT=20 color=3D#000000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Leica right now has the chance to take away some = Nikon and=20 Canon costumers. Even though their lenses are considerably more = expensive=20 than the competition, an R8 is about the same price as the top of the = line=20 bodies of its rivals in the US. Whether they will take advantage = of this=20 situation remains to be seen.</FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Regards,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Robert</FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" = size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML> - ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01BEAD42.232003A0--