Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I am one who could confirm that Canon and Nikon could -not- do better. I have collected cameras for years and, in amongst my collection I have an early Leica, in fact one of the last of the prototypes which are, as you would expect, the same as the first production cameras. I also own one of the first Canons (normally known as Hansa Canons but mine is not marked Hansa) which is of very considerably poorer quality material. I have an early Nikon too, which is much better made than the Canon but still less good, IMO than the early Leica. I am sure they are both cheaper to make. What is interesting is that the Leica is from 1923, The Canon from 1935 and the Nikon from 1949. The Leica is completely original in concept and construction. The Canon has some original features but they soon returned to making Leica copies. The Nikon is, effectively, a Contax body with Leica shutter. One could reason that the lenses all have roots with Zeiss. The Leica anastigmat is a minimally disguised Tessar, The Nippon Kogaku lens fitted to the Canon is an undisguised Tessar, pretty well all early Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) camera lenses were Zeiss copies of Topagon, Tessar and Sonnar designs originally. Frank On 3 Jan, 2009, at 02:11, Geoff Hopkinson wrote: > Hmm, Leica places the Ur-Leica on their timeline as 1914. That will > do to > match Alastair's 'five years or so' for me just fine. I understand > that the > 50 Jahre models were marking 50 years of Leica production models. No > shortage of 'commemorative' models along the way, naturally. So we > can all > pick which anniversary we'd like to celebrate. Of course Leica > Camera AG > won't have any official connection to Alastair's proposed project > (although > maybe they should) so the point is moot. > A dealer friend of mine was allowed to handle (white gloves) the Ur- > Leica > from the Leica vault, a year or so back. If that didn't motivate > you, you > would have to examine your soul! > Of course some folks here would criticise it for being an obsolete > design > that Nikon or Canon could do much better for less money ;-) ;-) ;-) > > > Cheers > Geoff > http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/ > Pick up your camera and make the best photo you can. > > -----Original Message----- > Subject: [Leica] Re: Centenary? > > > On Jan 2, 2009, at 6:26 PM, lug-Alastair wrote: > >>> Its 5 or so years from the centenary of Leica Photography: anyone >>> interested in a little LUG project? > > > Five or so years from the centenary of what? Oskar Barnack created > the UR > Leica in 1913 so that centenary will be in 2013, 4 years from now. > The fist > production Leica for sale to the public was the Leica 1 in 1925. The > centenary will be 16 years from now. Apparently Leica considers this > latter > date the official founding of the Leica line. > My 1975 Leica CL is an engraved "50 Jahre" anniversary model. A > friend's > 1975 M4 is similarly engraved. So the 100 year anniversary, > according to > Leica is in 2025. > > Aren't we jumping the gun? Of course I probably won't be around in > 2025 so I would be happy to accept the earlier date. Will Leica? > > Larry Z > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information