Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/27

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Subject: Re: [Leica] was leica marketed as a professional camera or a hobbiest camera?
From: "Christopher Williams" <LeicaChris@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 22:22:27 -0600
References: <ECC6F7B330A26C40B652962C47DEA258183C45@ASC02.asc.upenn.edu>

The LTM camera's were marketed for anyone who wants to use a small camera
and get great photos. So, I would think the Leica was like the
point-n-shoots of today. It was small enough(with a 35mm Elmar or 50mm
ELmar) to fit in a pocket. Take it on trips anywhere. The Germans have many
early 1930 books on everyday consumers using the "miniature camera"
skiing,hiking,etc...

Now this is Leica, so even in the 30's and 40's, the camera was $$$. Not
sure all consumers could afford one.

Until the M3, I don't think the pros(some exceptions we all know) were using
Leica that much. 4x5 was still king for news.

My thoughts anyway,I'm too young to know really.

Chris Williams
www.zoeicaimages.com

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Kyle Cassidy" Subject: [Leica] was leica marketed as a professional
camera or a hobbiest camera?


> I was in Ye Olde Used Bookstore about two weeks ago and found a nice fat
> heavy Leica book (The Leica Manual 14th edition) in lovely hardback for
$15
> so i snatched it up and took it home to read about the fantastic new
> developments made by the M2 leica camera and it's pal the M3.
>
> Reading the book I was struck by a) how elementary it was and b) how bad
the
> photos in it were -- mostly vacation shots and kids fishing. my thought
had
> always been that the M3 was produced and marketed as a camera for
> professional photojournalists, and i was expecting it to be filled with
news
> tips and doccumentary photos. reading this book, it struck me that perhaps
> it was not (marketed thusly), and the status it has achieved as the choice
> of pro's came much later; that this was just a well engineered german
camera
> targeted at hobbiests and weekend snapshooters and later picked up by
pros.
> it's very common today for a camera company to have a "pro" line and a
> "consumer" line. I'd assumed that the leica, since the M3 had always been
> marketed as a "pro" line of cameras, with no consumer version till the
> CL.... I'm sure there are a bunch of LHSA people out there who know all
the
> ins and outs of this. My question asked, I'll settle back to listen to
more
> knowledgeable voices.
>
> Thanks,
>
> kc


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In reply to: Message from Kyle Cassidy <KCassidy@asc.upenn.edu> ([Leica] was leica marketed as a professional camera or a hobbiest camera?)