[Leica] Leicagate

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@ision.nl>]

Jim's account of his relationship with Alpa closely resembles mine with
Leica. While I do not feel in any way obliged to answer B.D. questions,
which in my view are crossing the line of the privacy of the individual, I
will present here my position.
I am an independant business consultant since 10 years (before that I was a
university researcher/teacher, and a high ranking governement official), who
works at the moment for three Dutch companies, all with a yearly turnover of
several billion dollars. My area of expertise is reengineering legacy
software and business process analysis.
My company is a one-person company and I earn all of my money with these
activities. 
My second area of activities is photography, where I am as an independent
journalist enrolled as technical editor to one of the bigger Dutch
photomagazines. My contacts in the photoindustry are based here. I am taking
pictures too and with the combination of picture taking and photojournalism
I write numerous articles about the technical aspects photography for
several European magazines. I am involved in this area of activities for
over ten years and have written by now I think about a hundred artices, some
of which are Leica related.
I started using and writing about Leica 16 years ago as a hobby. As my
testreports in the magazines about Leica equipment (done fully independent
from Leica) became quite popular, I felt the need to delve deeper into the
Leica world and contacted the Dutch distributor. He provides me with all the
equipment I need for testing. I sign off a paper and return all equipment
after use. I do not get any product for free, nor do I get any favours.
Every adjustment to my own cameras or lenses is paid for by me as a normal
repair service. 
If I want to buy a Leica lens or body I buy it in Holland and pay the normal
price. All my lenses and the one M6 I own now have been paid for by me. I
finance this with the fees I get from the articles I publish, which are not
Leica related in many cases.
Obviously I visist the Solms factory regularly. From my home in Holland to
Solms is a distance of about 300 miles and when I travel to Solms I always
take a hotel. I travel by car (my own), pay for my own gasoline and pay for
the hotel. I have never been in an hotel paid for me by Leica. The one visit
I made to Portugal (by airplane) was paid for by me, including the hotel.
Leica is of course aware of my actions as a journalist and my reports and
analyses about leica products and do support this with providing
information. This is not unique: all writers about leica get this info:
Brian Bower I have met in Soms several times and he is given the same info
as I get. And I know that every journalist in Solms can talk to whomever he
wants about whatever topic. There is a free flow of information and that is
it. I have never received from Leica any gift or camera or lens or whatever
material product (excepting the leica calendar which I receive free, as all
journalists get one for free). I would be very stupid and so would be Leica,
if the relationship would be jeopardized if they would  try to influence me
or if I would let myself be influenced in my opinions by giving/accepting
gifts. I am surprised that B.D. and others are so naive as to assume that
opinions and testreports can be 'bought'. Maybe their  view reflects on
their own attitude in these matters.
Leica is a very responsible company and so am I and so are most companies I
deal with. I do not think tat multi-billion dollar companies would rely on
experts who are not reliable or responsible. I know that operating in the
public domain and having acquired a certain status, has its responsibilities
and makes you vulnerable to the kind of suspicion of which B.D's list is the
latest incarnation.
All research activities and time invested in doing the research,
accumulating the facts and reporting on the findings are done in my own free
time. My website is paid for by me, the Newsletters are free and done in my
spare time.  
I am aware that I make mistakes, that I do not know everything about leica
and that I sometimes change my mind as most thoughtful people do, when they
are confronted with new evidence or new insights. I am also aware that there
are some who have become almost personal enemies and will never fail to
point to every inconsistency  in every sentence or opinion  that I have
written and who challenge my integrity and expertise on every possible
occasion. In their place I would try to do something more constructive than
flogging a hrse that is in their view already dead.
I know from thousands of emails and personal contacts that my views and
opinions are valued as a reliable guide for buying decisions for leica
equipment and I do know that my research findings into the ultimate Leica
quality are appreciated by many.
Leica knows this too: when people talk about Leica, my name pops up
regularly. 
The converse is happening: because I know that my position would be
untenable if I would let me be influenced by Leica PR or if I would ask
favours from Leica that might even in the remotest way question my
independence, I am lost. So I would be a complete asshole if I would let
this happen even in the slighest way.
I often disagree with Leica: I am not convinced of the optical quality of
many R-lenses. I have written about that in my book and on my website. I am
not convinced of the quality of several M-lenses. The same goes for the
bodies: I have my remarks and comments. That is known by Leica: that has
never limited their cooperation, nor have they ever tried to influence my
views.  In fact they know and do appreciate that I have independent views
and can back it up with facts and figures and yes, pictures too. It is in
their own best interest to get independent and reliable and fact based
feedback on their products.
Do you really assume that Leica wants only blind and uncritical confirmation
about their own achievements. How naive can you get!
There is nothing in my M7 report or for that matter in my lens reports, that
is not supported by experience, measured or calculated facts (I made a
mistake in the calculation of the speed of the shutter curtains: it is 7
km/hour, not 70 km!) and I always make a careful distinction in presenting
my own views and opinions and describing facts.
Leica are justifiable proud of their products and achievements and very well
capable of profiling their products as they seem fit.  They really do not
need to 'bribe' some Dutch guy to become their parrot.


Erwin

          

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html