[Leica] Re: Leicagate

[Allan Wafkowski <allan@sohogurus.net>]

B.D., I think Erwin just kicked your ass.

Allan


On Tuesday, February 26, 2002, at 05:50 AM, Erwin Puts wrote:
> 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
>

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