RE: [Leica] Why DO we spend so much money on Leica glass, anyway?

["Dan Honemann" <ddh@home.com>]

> And I am willing to spend the big $$ on Leica
> lenses because, as you wrote, "it allows us to do *both*."

There's this, too, Doug: shooting with fine equipment is a pleasure in and
of itself.  My Leica M inspires me to use it often.  (When I neglect it for
a day or two, it starts calling out my name.  Softly, at first, but
persistently, gradually getting louder until I just can't ignore it
anymore.)

No matter how many times I write out the pros and cons on paper and make up
my mind that a Canon EOS is much better value for the money, it just doesn't
excite me the way a Leica does.  You could say it's silly to spend the same
amount of money on a single camera and lens that would buy you two bodies
and a half dozen lenses from another brand.  But all you really need is one
camera and one lens--the one you've got on hand--and the enthusiasm that
comes from the sheer joy of using it.

Dan