[Leica] air it out privately

["Steve Barbour" <kididdoc@home.com>]

I trust this could be taken off list.... where you could bare your souls to
one another. You could  start a separate list for people on the take, and
those that assume the same ....of  everyone else.

 Tom,
>
> My apologies to you and to all members of the LUG for the considerable
flap
> that I have caused. But, let me explain:
>
>  I never questioned your integrity in my original post, rather, I was
> wondering out loud about what seemed to me to be an obvious situation, and
> that is the over-promotion of Cosina in a publication, VIEWFINDER, owned
by
> the Leica Historical Society of America (LHSA). And let me state that I do
> not have my head stuck in the sand, nor am I a Leica fanatic oblivious to
> all the other good camera systems including Cosina products.
>
> I too have dealt with the Asian culture for many years and still do. Many
> years ago when I worked on the editorial staff of a motorcycle magazine it
> was fairly commonplace when doing a favorable road test on a Japanese
> motorcycle to be offered the opportunity to buy one of those motorcycles
for
> a token amount of money (would you believe $50 for a $1500 motorcycle)
that
> was called "promotional consideration" and when I quit that industry I had
a
> garage full of almost brand new motorcycles that I sold for a tidy profit.
>
> Even today as the Publisher/Editor of a trade magazine
> (http://www.icommag.com) for the professional film & video industry there
> are opportunities for me to take advantage of "promotional consideration"
> and we are talking about very large, well known companies (I did not pay
for
> this Mac G4 that I am writing on this very minute). In other words, 'You
> scratch my back and I will scratch yours.'
>
> So when I see glowing reports on any product in a periodical I am left
> wondering. In your case I certainly understand that you are a camera
> gearhead who loves talking about, playing with, designing products and
using
> them. I thoroughly enjoy reading everything you have ever written and I
> value your opinion on all of the camera products that you have evaluated.
> The wondering comes from experience with manufacturers who Know a
> promotional opportunity when they see it and will take advantage of it. So
> here are you are a good natured, happy go lucky gearhead who has
unwittingly
> helped sell many thousands of dollars worth of Cosina camera equipment. I
> dunno, maybe you should be a paid consultant.
>
> Let me repeat, my apologies to you and I will continue to look forward to
> your writings and evaluations. But, I do wish that you and the editor of
> VIEWFINDER will understand that once something gets into print it leaves a
> lasting impression and a possibility of a bias.
>
> Regards,
>
> Steve LeHuray
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Steve, as a contributing editor to the Viewfinder I can supply material
I
> > think is interesting. The material on page 2 of last Viewfinder was not
> > supplied by me. Our editor went to the Voigtlander Press Conference at
> > Photokina and got the material there! The article about Cosina's factory
is
> > of interest to the LHSA readers as I was allowed in to Cosina's glass
making
> > plant (Leica does not have one of these anymore) and I wanted to show
that
> > glass making is not a clinical operation. It is blasting furnaces and
flying
> > dust and a lot of handwork. I am lucky that  Mr Kobyashi and his staff
are
> > willing to spend time with me. Think about it yourself, if you are a
> > photographer (and gear head)! and you get to sit down with the people
who can
> > design new lenses, new cameras and accessories and you have a discussion
with
> > them. They ask your opinion and you can suggest things and it is done in
a
> > friendly and informal manner. Would you say that "No thanks, that would
not
> > interest me at all!" Over the years I have visited Leica Wetzlar and
Solms
> > quite regularly and gotten to know several of the people there. They do
the
> > same thing, often the discussion can be about new products, potential
> > problems with the current products or improvements to current models.
Any
> > manufacturer will do this, sometimes they have Focus-Groups, large
groups of
> > people, often with little or know connection to the product whose
opinions
> > are asked for. Sometimes this is good, but with a product like a camera
or a
> > lens, it is also important to talk to users and I do not flatter myself
into
> > thinking that I have changed any major part of a design, but I am one of
the
> > people  that is asked. Sure, it is an ego-trip to be asked and
occasionally
> > recognise a minute change on a product later one. "Hey, I was one of the
> > people who suggested that!". This does not qualify as a "paid
Consultant" -
> > so far only benefit has been some lunches at Leica Solms Cafeteria (a
mixed
> > pleasure) and the possibility to aquire Cosina stuff early and at a
dealer
> > price (and I do not resell any of these pieces).
> >  I am a photographer first and foremost, I like cameras and optics and
if I
> > find something that I like why should I not tell other photographers
about it!
> >  Just to make your day, I also have a 4 page article in the next
Viewfinder
> > about Cuba - all of it shot with Leica M2's and pre-1960's 35/2, 50/2
and
> > 90/2,8 (all made by Leica). There is a 1-page announcement about the
Bessa-T,
> > but considering that it is a M-mount camera, it does have significance
to the
> > Viewfinder reader. Now go out and shoot some film, I will.
> > Tom A
> >
>