Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/25

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Why does Leica (SLR) still exist?
From: lowiemanuel at yahoo.ca (Emanuel Lowi)
Date: Sat Sep 25 20:12:02 2004

 Juan Gea-Banacloche wrote: 

> 
> I got interested in Leica more than 25 years ago,
> when I heard my 
> father talk about it with reverence, explaining to
> me that these 
> cameras would not have a hinged back like the others
> to ensure utmost 
> film flatness. (His best camera had been a
> Contessa).
> 
> When I was saving money for my first camera (I
> decided early I wanted a 
> SLR) I sent a letter to the Leica distributor in
> Spain, and they sent 
> me leaflets on the SL2 and R3 (which I keep to this
> day). The spot 
> metering ("Selective Light" metering) caught my eye,
> but I did not 
> think it justified prices more than double or triple
> the best models 
> from Canon, Nikon, Olympus or the then reborn
> Contax. The Canon F1 and 
> Nikon F2 seemed to offer more possibilities than the
> SL2. The reviews I 
> read about the R3 emphasized (maybe wrongly) it was
> just a repackaged 
> Minolta. I could not have afforded one anyway, but
> the truth is buying 
> a Leica SLR did not quite "make sense".
> 
> To this day, I still have the feeling Leica reflex
> cameras "do not make 
> sense", but I am very happy they have survived, and
> I am very happy I 
> got my SL. I don't know that any of them has ever
> been better (or more 
> durable) than a Nikon F3 (which I don't have), but
> the truth is they 
> have survived. Against many odds. And many of them
> are still more 
> expensive (used) than the F3 (used).
> 
> It must be the "Leica mystique". Or the lenses. Or
> the red dot. Or 
> something else. I agree the transition to digital
> may be just too much 
> for Leica to survive-- on the other hand, probably
> the same thing was 
> said of Rolex and Omega when quartz watches came
> along, and they 
> managed to survive.
> 
> One may care a little for a company. I would like
> Leica to continue 
> existing, in a similar way I would like Apple to
> continue existing. It 
> will be a shame if they disappear. I don't care if
> Canon cameras are 
> better or PCs make more sense. I am happy to choose
> the less sensible 
> product for my hobbies.
> 

Amen, Brother! And Hallelujah!

Yours is the credo of the true Leicaist!

Leica. It's simple. And beyond compare.

Emanuel lowi
Montreal

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