Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/02

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Subject: [Leica] No myth that Leica takes better pictures !!!
From: Henry Ting <henryting10@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2002 20:53:59 -0700 (PDT)

I cannot speak for pros on this forum, but as a
dedicated Leica enthusiast, I myself can rightfully
say that Leica makes me a better photographer.
Regardless of the misconception and myths surrounding
Leica, the fact that the M system is a joy to use,
makes me a better photographer. The association of the
camera and myself seems to have a strong bond and I
take my Leica plus a couple of M lens with me anywhere
I go. I'm so used to having it with me regardless of
the event that I can quite honestly say I feel naked
without it. 

Years ago, I took up cycling, but was never a
hard-core cyclist until I met a local club-mate. His
advise to me was that if I could afford it, get an
Italian lightweight racing bike. I did. I followed his
advice and bought a DeRosa, a bike that made famous by
the greatest cyclist of all times, Eddy Merckx. He
rode the DeRosa in winning several Tour de France
titles. After I got the DeRosa, I started enjoying the
bike more and more. It was handmade by the the old
world Italian craftsmen. It was a beauty in its
simplistic form and purely functional with none of the
fancy gizmos. The craftsmanship was meticulous, and
pared with fully Campagnolo components you can see
tradition deeply rooted in the Italian bicycle
culture. I fell in love with that bike and started
putting on initially about 60 miles per week and
progressively later completed my "century", 100 miles
in one day. After the "century" I wasn't tired or
beatup at all, but was still fresh enough to continue
if the sun was still out. I thank my club friend for
pointing me to a DeRosa, a bike as traditional and
mythical as Leica is to cameras.

The point of all this is that passion plays a larger
part of how I became a better cyclist as well as a
photographer. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be as
interested in cycling nor in photography if the only
equipment I was allowed was a bike from Kmart special
or a disposable camera.

So to this shutterbug, the Leica myth is real and
that's part of the reason I hang around this forum.

- --- Kevin Argue <kargue@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Henry- While some pros do have Nikons for their work
> there are some of us 
> that use Leica's (R's and M's) everyday! I even shot
> soccer and motorcycle
> racing with a R5 and 280mm f2.8 with extender---- no
> autofocus!
> 
> Kevin Argue
> St. Catharines, Ontario
> 
> ----------
> >From: Henry Ting <henryting10@yahoo.com>
> >To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> >Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: To M7 or not to M7, c'est
> la question - LONG
> >Date: Tue, Jul 2, 2002, 7:20 PM
> >
> 
> >
> > All pros depend on their equipment for their
> > livelihood. On the contrary, pros depend purely on
> > Leica's are the minorities. The majority use
> Nikon,
> > Canons or even Minoltas.
> >
> > --- Simon Lamb <simon@sclamb.com> wrote:
> >> Hmm, what have I started here?  There are some
> >> things that make the M6/M7
> >> capable that the Minolta and Canon cannot beat,
> such
> >> as the instantaneous
> >> shutter release, capability to handhold to speeds
> as
> >> low as 1/8sec due to
> >> the lack of vibration from the shutter and no
> mirror
> >> slapping about, use of
> >> fast lenses (down to f/1) across just about the
> >> entire lens range, etc.
> >>
> >> I think Tina presented some reasonable arguments
> for
> >> going with the M6/M7,
> >> especially since her livelihood depends on it.  I
> do
> >> wonder whether others
> >> who have a less pressing need for the M qualities
> >> could and will consider
> >> the cheaper alternatives, especially as they
> could
> >> use the M lenses.
> >>
> >> I just think that by moving towards automation
> with
> >> the M7, it will invite
> >> comparison to the other bodies and the others may
> >> win the day.
> >>
> >> Simon
> >>
> >> On 2/7/02 11:35 pm, "Allan Wafkowski"
> >> <allan@sohogurus.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> > The Leica myth.
> >> >
> >> > Anyone here could, for $240, buy a Minolta
> Maxxum
> >> 5 or Canon Rebel 2000
> >> > and have a more capable camera than the $2500
> M7.
> >> Both run circles
> >> > around the M7's antiquated exposure system.
> Gone
> >> too is the lame excuse,
> >> > "I must have a fully mechanical camera for
> those
> >> times when I go brain
> >> > dead and forget the batteries."
> >> >
> >> > The Leica myth is running out of excuses as the
> M
> >> series becomes a
> >> > fairly modern camera. Soon the excuses will
> become
> >> so thin, "It's the
> >> > only camera that has a red dot I can cover up",
> >> will be the answer of
> >> > choice when asked why one paid $2000 more and
> got
> >> less.
> >> >
> >> > Allan
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Simon Lamb wrote:
> >> >> What I don't quite understand is, if Ted, Tina
> >> and others find the AE of
> >> >> such benefit to get many more perfectly
> exposed
> >> images, why didn't
> >> >> they a
> >> >> long time ago purchase one of the competitors
> >> (that accept M lenses)
> >> >> that
> >> >> have the M7 features and much more?
> >> >>
> >> >> This is a genuine questions and hopefully Ted,
> >> Tina or someone else
> >> >> might
> >> >> answer.
> >>
> >> --
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> >
> http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
> >
> >
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