Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/07/23

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Leica Users digest V10 #37
From: Dave Yoder <leica@home.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 23:25:44 -0700

> Whoa, Walt!

I'm a journalist/editorial photographer who uses R's by choice over M's. I believe Salgado,
Bill Allard, Sam Abell and Maggie Steber among others use R's predominantly (unless that's
changed of late). I work with a few newspaper photographers who use Leicas too, and two of
them are thinking about switching from M's to R's because of the limited focal range and
parallax when in close. Damian Dovaragnes (sp?) at AP in LA also uses R's. AP!  Even I wonder
why sometimes, his R8 loaded with color neg and sometimes even next to a digital camera.

I wouldn't rely on M's for my kind of work, though sure I'd like to have some and I think
they'd be better for my style. They are too limited in versatility for me. In the past I've
owned and M3 and a Mamiya 7 outfit, and I know from experience I'd miss moments that I could
get with my R's (and I don't buy the zone focusing argument when shooting a moving subject at
maximum aperture, which I do a lot of instead of compromising the film speed).

I don't rely on my R's exclusively either, though, as I can't afford the long lenses. So I
fall back on the company-issued Canon gear on the relatively uncommon occasions that I need a
telephoto (hardly sounds like newspapering, eh?)

I hate shooting sports too. What a yawn.

Dave Y.

>
> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 18:05:07 -0500 (CDT)
> From: Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] why leica?
>
> Well, Since I apparently DIDN"T answer the question, and went into
> my babble instead, I'll do it now....why don't pros use Leica?
>
> Never met a journalist/editorial photographer who didn't >IF< they
> could afford it....So that's my answer...those 35mm pros who shoot
> OTHER than sports (yuck), ALL use Leica M.......period.
>
> If they can't afford it, they get 'sour grapes' and may even
> criticize Leica M....until they get one :) :)
>
> NONE of them, however, use Leica M >ONLY<.....they may need
> lenses longer than 90, and a close-focusing 50 or 105.
>
> Now don't get me ta lying about sports/wildlife photogs....don't
> know, don't care....I'd rather scoop ice cream for a living.
>
> Walt
>
> ----