Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/02/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]
To the non-loco:
Did you not give any consideration to the color of the car you drive, or to
the finish of any of the appliances you may use in your home? What about
the television you watch or the computer work with? Were you solely
concerned with the performance of these items or did size, shape, and
perhaps even finish have anything to do with your decision? These are
utilitarian objects just like the camera you shoot with. And regarding that
camera, you did choose a finish for your Leica, did you not? On what
criteria was that decision based? Did any of you honestly say to the
salesman: "I want an M6 and some lenses - just give me whatever finish you
have handy," or did you consciously determine that you wanted/needed one
finish or the other? Come on, even Sal wrote, and I quote: "I still prefer
black cameras, but it's nothing more than personal preference and ones own
sense of aesthetics." (And you'll note that the terms "personal preference"
and "sense of aesthetics" are used here.)
To sit around and obsess over whether this or that finish is more superb or
"appropriate" is - I agree - more than a bit foolish. But to give no
consideration at all to the question seems equally ridiculous to me. My M6s
(one silver, one black) are indeed tools that I use to take pictures, and
not objects that I purchased to put on a shelf and admire. But, the fact
that they look and feel a particular way is also important to me. My
pictures are probably no better for it, but I certainly derive more
pleasure from working with these tools than I otherwise would. And as
Hendrix said about the name of his first album ("Are You Experienced?"):
Ain't nothing wrong with that!
Guy