Re: [Leica] There's viable and there's viable

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

Mike Johnston wrote:
> 
> Mark R.: >>>The Leica M6 is a viable commercial camera system<<<
> 
> Until an Art Director who is proposing to pay you $12,000 for six days'
> work says "Please tell me I'm not going to see you using that when our
> client is in the building. That is not what our client expects to see."
> 
> Then it suddenly becomes "un-viable."
> 
> <g>
> 
> --Mike (who had to keep a 28mm lens on hand despite never using one, for
> when an A.D. said, "Let's see it with a 28.")

My response to "Please tell me I'm not going to see you using that when our
client is in the building..."
"I'm sorry I sold that entire nice Nikon system to buy a new lens for this camera"
The bottom line will tend to impress those with absolutely no imagination.

It is always amazing when an art director with a budget like that could be that dumb.

I've got a friend who is really in the big time doing stuff for Weiden and
Kennedy the top advertizing agency in the world and strangely located in my
backyard here in Portland Oregon. Many art directors there own Leica M's. The
fact that a photographer is smart enough to back their system with Leicas or
primarily use Leica's makes them real comfortable and happy. But this level of
art director knows better than to question a photographers choice of camera or
film. They would not blink an eyelash over paying $15,000 for a shot clicked
with a Holga or Lomo.
Many Art Directors are paste up artists with a big budget. If they knew what
they were doing they would let people do the jobs they are trained to do.

You've got a book filled with shots done with a Leica M and they want you to go
rent some Nikons to do a job?
I think the "image" of Leica's is not amateurish to most people.
You need to tell us how "real" your quote was and the circumstances behind it.
I'm sure a thing like that could have happened. I don't think it represents the norm.
Mark (call me Norm) Rabiner
via duck via not'a chicken?!