Re: [Leica] Leica and fountain pens

[Lucian Chis <chis@ece.orst.edu>]

On Wed, 9 Jun 1999, Mark Rabiner wrote:

> Lucian Chis wrote:
> > 
> > For what it is worth:
> > 
> > Here is a guiding principle for getting the best in everything:
> > Check first the manufacturer that first produced the item (or invented
> > it)(don't start a thread on 35mm now), while they are around:
> > Try Waterman first for fountain pens,
> > Try Mercedes first for cars,
> > Try Leica for 35mm cameras,
> > Try Rolleiflex for TLR,
> > and so on..
> > 
> > Lucian
> 
> Check them for what?
> 
For a fair comparison; the average John Doe out there really thinks Honda
Accord is the best car there is, Canon Rebel is the best camera, and so
on, without ever laying a hand on anything else, just because it seems out
of the price range, and they were TOLD so. Price is not a number, it is a
state of mind!

When you grow wise, you figure out the the price you paid on something is
not what it will cost you in the long run; like they say in our part of
the world: most of us are too poor to afford cheap things!

For example, tell me what is the life expectancy of a Canon Rebel? How
many of these will you have burnt before your trusted M4 has worn out. To
make the comparison fair, start today with a 30something year old Leica
and a brand new Rebel |:-)

Same thing goes in cars, the whole picture includes safety, comfort,
satisfaction. Do you have any idea what is the price difference between an
oil filter for a Mercedes or Volvo  and one for Suzuki Swift?

Like I said earlier, price is a state of mind. Remember the test made 10
years ago in this country when two groups of people were sold the same car
at full price and half price, respectively; after one year the first group
had cars that were like new, whereas the second group was still pondering
if they should change the oil yet or better to have the first detail job!

It is really complicated, because we are (some of us) human. We therefore
keep checking the bumps in our own head and tend to discount someone
else's trophies:-)

Lucian

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