Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/11/30

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Subject: [Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use
From: images at comporium.net (Tina Manley)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 07:29:55 -0500
References: <CCDD79FD.21655%chris@chriscrawfordphoto.com> <CCDD7D10.26EF3%mark@rabinergroup.com> <20121130004812.2699ab85@linux-mh41.site>

One of my M8's has been back to Leica after I dropped in on a marble floor
in India.  Both of them were under water in Honduras.  My M9 has never been
back except to have the Noctilux matched to it.  I guess I'm just lucky!

Tina

On Fri, Nov 30, 2012 at 12:48 AM, Phil Forrest
<photo.forrest at earthlink.net>wrote:

> Nope, won't happen.
> The Leica M9 failure rate was far too high for news professionals to
> consider using them for work. It's a fun hobby camera but for the hard
> working journalist, the Leica doesn't cut it. Both my M8 and M9 spent
> about 40% of the time I owned them out at Leica for repairs. I
> personally know owners of a total of nine other M9s in the Philadelphia
> area and every single one of them had to go back to Leica a few times.
> One of my friends went through three shutters in his M8 then two
> shutters and a sensor in his M9. And he's a working pro in Philly who
> luckily has Canon gear for backup but while his Leica was out at the
> factory, the backup became the regular camera.
>
> All of the digital Leicas I have seen have had to have sensors remapped
> or replaced due to the hot pixel / vertical line issues. So, about 20
> digital Leica M bodies in the Philly area that are owned by
> acquaintances of mine and 100% of them had to be repaired. Not reliable
> enough for a premium product. For a camera that costs that much, it
> should not only be reliable, it should be PERFECT.
>
> You said the M9 was going to be the game changer a few years ago, Mark.
> It didn't happen. It drove myself and two of my friends AWAY from Leica
> as a matter of fact due to their incredible expense, slow service, and
> then their declining support for the still excellent M8.
>
> So again, we won't see Leicas taking their place in the journalism
> world. Everyone knew the rangefinder was on its way out by 1960, so
> why would that change today?
>
> Phil Forrest
>
>
> On Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:58:56 -0500
> Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:
>
> > I do think though the M9 worked and the M is going to work a whole lot
> > better and there are a huge amount of used Leica glass out there in a
> > gamut of price points. Pros are familiar with what Leica rangefinders
> > have done in the not too distant past and will be interested like
> > they always have in what that might add to their work. I think the M
> > is going to be a huge success for Leica and we'll be seeing articles
> > about pros using them for jobs. We didn't wee that with the M9. We
> > will see it with the M. Imagine shooting an f1 lens @ iso 6400! And
> > video clips. I think the new M will get Pro support in the market;
> > and Leica will be back in the hot spot at least where they were in
> > the 90's. When sure a small amount of shooter used Leica but in each
> > group there usually was at least one.
> >
> > Mark William Rabiner
> > Photography
> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
> >
> >
> > > From: Chris Crawford <chris at chriscrawfordphoto.com>
> > > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> > > Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:52:31 -0500
> > > To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use
> > >
> > > Nikon and Canon digital SLRs are used by 99% of the world's
> > > professionals. Why? Because they're extremely reliable, have
> > > extensive lens and accessory systems, and those companies are the
> > > cutting edge technological leaders....and despite all that, they
> > > cost less than Leicas.
> > >
> > > Professional photographers of all types are hurting economically
> > > today, and that is especially true of journalists. They're poorly
> > > paid, and newspapers have been shedding staff photographers to save
> > > money. Leica has simply priced itself out of the professional
> > > market. It really is that simple. On top of that, Leica's digital
> > > cameras have had a lot of well-publicised technical and reliability
> > > problems. Pros need cameras that "Just Work", every time. Canon and
> > > Nikon cameras "Just Work". The lenses are affordable. The image
> > > quality is magnificent. Using Nikon or Canon is a no-brainer.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Chris Crawford
> > > Fine Art Photography
> > > Fort Wayne, Indiana
> > > 260-437-8990
> > >
> > > http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My portfolio
> > >
> > > http://blog.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My latest work!
> > >
> > > http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Crawford/48229272798
> > > Become a fan on Facebook
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 11/29/12 8:41 PM, "David Ching" <davidhhching1 at yahoo.com.sg>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Come on, don't tease, tell us all. Which one/s? Why, if you know
> > >> the reasons.
> > >>
> > >> And why not Leicas?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> David Ching
> > >>
>
>
> --
> http://philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com/
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/philforrest
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>


-- 
Tina Manley, ASMP
www.tinamanley.com


Replies: Reply from leowesson at gmail.com (Leo Wesson) ([Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use)
In reply to: Message from chris at chriscrawfordphoto.com (Chris Crawford) ([Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use)
Message from photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Phil Forrest) ([Leica] Cameras Real Pros Use)