Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/30

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Film/digital wars
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Sat Apr 30 16:18:29 2005

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/





Replies: Reply from bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Re: Film/digital wars)
Reply from nathan.wajsman at planet.nl (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] Re: Film/digital wars)
In reply to: Message from bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Re: Film/digital wars)