Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On 4/30/05 7:17 AM, "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> typed: > Yes, Leica gear was always extremely expensive. BUT...When film was the > dominant medium, and an M or Leica lenses were looked on as a life-time > investment, the price became somewhat more reasonable, especially if the > gear was being purchased by a pro for his or her 'tool kit,' or as the > only camera a hobbyist would have to buy for 50 years of satisfying use. > > Now, however, with film fast becoming an asterisk in the photo world, > and the dollar heading down the drain, the prices become ludicrous. > > Well I have a what most pros would think of as a "complete set" of the usual suspects glass and gear wise for my Nikons, Hasselblads and Leicas. Only a normal for 4x5 so that's not really my thing so far. And that's going to change. For my Nikons I get to use those lenses on my digital bodies when I want to shoot digital. Or film bodies when I want to shoot film. Same pretty much to my Hasselblad and Leica systems. Except I don't have the digital body or back right here with me right now in the present sense. Sooner or later. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of my life. I can land an Epson R1D1 or wait till further options arrive. And or Scan the film I get from my M bodies as I'm already doing. I can land a Hasselblad digital back or rent one as the occasion arise. Now this makes the prices of Leica ludicrous how? Am I missing something? For one thing I already own the system so whatever it cost I figured out how to deal with it over a period of time and now it's mine to use. When I reach for my 90 APO ASPH a little voice doest come out of my camera case and say "give me 200 bucks first". You pay for it once. All I need is a digital body. I expect it to be expensive and I expect it to be well worth it. Its certainly going to cost a small fraction of what a present reasonably professional complete Leica system costs anyway. I find it interesting that the people who seem to feel that film use is ridiculous and that any gear which stinks of film use is a relic are often the ones who have little to show for all their past film use. But plenty of "uploads" to show for their present digital use. Had they ever figured out the darkroom in the first place they'd have a more balanced view of film use in the present and future. Mark Rabiner Photography Portland Oregon http://rabinergroup.com/