[Leica] B. D. PAWS with a $699 DSLR

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Gary Todoroff offered:

> <<From: B. D. Colen
> <<
> <<Again, the couple was shot from my lap for Gd's sake - I'd hardly be
> surprised if the point of focus was off. ;-)

Gary said:
> Which is EXACTLY why I am sticking to my guns that the whole DSLR approach
> for digital photography is WACKY for LUGgers! My 8 megapixel Olympus C8080
> is the size of a Leica M, the flip screen LCD lets me shoot from my lap, 
> and
> I'm not in the horse and buggy days of having to always put my eye up to a
> viewfinder with a silly mirror and focus requirements. On top of that, 
> most
> stupid DSLRs are getting close to the size of an old 4x5 press camera - at
> least that's where all the "pro" models seem to be headed - HUGE!.
>
> When is someone going to put the smarts and quality of the latest digital
> sensor technology into a pro camera that is not the equivalent of the 
> first
> motor cars with the front guard to keep the horses from kicking mud on the
> passengers! The current DSLR approach still seems to believe the camera is
> going to hold FILM!
>
> Worst of all, Leica doesn't seem to get it. They put the majority of their
> digital eggs into the what? A DSLR!!!! Just think - all those Leica M 
> lenses
> out their just waiting for a professional digital body that makes sense in
> the worlds of photojournalism and candid photography.<<<

Hi Gary,
Each time I've been told to get the best out of my Leica R lenses I should 
move up to a full frame Canon DSLR because I'm already using the 20D and 
having extremely fine results.  However each time I've looked at them I'm 
scared off as the size is as you say... "the olden days of using a 4X5 Speed 
Graphic" or damn near it! :-(  Been there and done it so long ago for so 
long I sure as hell don't want to buy into it again.

Heck I'm accustomed to motor driven R8's and these are big enough, that 
carrying 3 of them and a couple or 3 M7's it gets a tad tiring at the end of 
the day. So why buy into huge digitals when as you  say.........

" > Worst of all, Leica doesn't seem to get it. They put the majority of 
their digital eggs into the what? >> A DSLR!!!! <<<

On one hand I can see them doing that because of the R cameras already in 
photographers hands who want to continue using their R lenses. But given 
it's just an add on piece, even though by all counts it works quite well, 
it's just that an add on bit at a cost beyond ability of many shooters, 
Particularly when for about half the cost there are many excellent digi 
cameras available (20D) an others that with adapters can use leica glass. OK 
not at full frame, but at whatever size they produce excellent quality 
capture and printed images. Certainly with a Leica look in sharpness and 
contrast.

But they're missing the biggest market.... "an M size camera to use all 
those incredible M lenses and M body owners in the world." No not everybody 
would switch, but I bet Leica would sell more of a digital M size Leica in 
the blink of an eye than all the DMR pieces put together.

It's a fault squarely on the shoulders of Leica management as over the years 
they've always been head in the sand outlook even way back in the days of... 
"The SLR is a fad and it'll never go anywhere and photographers who know 
quality will always buy a Leica range finder camera!" Yeah right and where 
are they today?

Out behind the out house sucking the hind tit because they never illustrated 
a "modern day vision" and always believed the world didn't change from the 
'30's when Leica was king!

Rant off! However I expect many will not agree. So be it, but if I were 
wrong then we'd all own a new M-digi 8! ;-) Right? ;-)

So Gary take that to the LHSA get together. :-)  Please say hi to the gang 
arriving today.

ted