Re: [Leica] "B Grade" Leica gear? -- Not Really

[Rick Dykstra <rdandcb@cybermac.com.au>]

apbbeijing wrote:
> 
> I think part of the problem is that there just is not enough inspection of
> the goods to make such grading feasible: dud stuff seems to turn up all over
> the place let alone slightly imperfect items. 

Hi Adrian,

You're right of course.

Its my understanding that the initial production of R8's after Photokina
in 96 when the R8 was launched was at the rate of only 40 a day, taking
things at a steady pace initially.  Leica must have been experiencing
the tug of war between holding back production to guarantee quality vs
getting product out the door to capitalise on the demand created by the
product launch.

At the time I was getting used to the idea of buying a Nikon F5.  I'd
tried one and was happy with the output, but the knobs, dials and
settings were throwing me off.  I couldn't see why the shots that didn't
work out ended up that way.  Then I began to see R8 advertising and I
waited.  Then I got to handle an R8 in the flesh and my mind was made up
on the spot.  I loved the handling and the viewfinder - and the sheer
manualness, the tactility of it.  Still do.  I felt like I was in
control of the thing, rather than the other way round.  

Upon reflection, what really annoyed me was the marketing department's
false promise that the equipment was perfect in every respect and would
never fail.  An unreasonable expectation.  NASA can miss Mars, Star
Wars' missiles miss, and so on.   

Buggy products can come from anywhere and end up anywhere, for sure. 
But whoever is compiling the stats had better leave me out of their
sampling if they don't want to skew the results!

Regardds

Rick Dykstra