Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2023/05/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]One can debate cause and effect. In my case, it is not that I left Leica; rather, Leica has left me. Cheers, Nathan Nathan Wajsman photo at frozenlight.eu http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws http://www.greatpix.eu http://www.frozenlight.eu ????? ???????! ?????? ?????! > On 3 May 2023, at 03:49, Jayanand Govindaraj via LUG <lug at > leica-users.org> wrote: > > It is no surprise that Leica has to look further afield than photographers > as its target market if all the die hard Leica using photographers refuse > to buy any new equipment. It is absolutely natural that they would like to > survive as a company! ? > > Cheers > Jayanand > > On Wed, May 3, 2023 at 12:11?AM Nathan Wajsman <photo at frozenlight.eu> > wrote: > >> I am in the same boat. I do not see myself ever buying a piece of new >> equipment from Leica. But I enjoy using my M2 (and I am happy to pay for >> the occasional CLA or other repair). I actually have another M-compatible >> body, a Voigtlander Bessa R2M. And best of all: a 50mm Summilux, a 90mm >> Tele-Elmarit, both roughly my age, and a more modern 35mm Summarit-M?the >> only piece of Leica equipment which I bought new. The 50 and 90mm Leica >> lenses work wonderfully on my Fuji X cameras (especially the E3) and also >> on the Panasonic GX80. >> >> Cheers, >> Nathan >> >> Nathan Wajsman >> photo at frozenlight.eu >> >> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws >> http://www.greatpix.eu >> http://www.frozenlight.eu >> >> ????? ???????! ?????? ?????! >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> On 2 May 2023, at 18:17, Peter Dzwig <pdzwig at summaventures.com> wrote: >>> >>> Peter, >>> >>> I very much agree with you - and I think that you speak for many of us. >> My M3 is a marvel and produces "that certain something". My IIIf does that >> and, as Steve Gandy described it "is camera as art". There's a certain fun >> in using them but they are an acquired taste. Digital is fine, but again >> digital cameras change so frequently and of course we musn't forget the >> ubiquitous smartphone which in a lot of area are evolving faster than >> cameras and some even have Leica lenses! >>> >>> I think that, unless I win the lottery, I have bought my last Leica they >> really are rapidly going out of my reach. >>> >>> However using my M3 lens - or even LTMs - on my Fujis is a hoot. >>> >>> Peter >>> >>> On 02/05/2023 04:30, Peter Klein via LUG wrote: >>>> My love of Leica M cameras started c. 1970, when I discovered that I >> could focus a rangefinder more accurately and easily than an SLR. At that >> time, a used M2 was only a little more expensive than a new Nikon F. i >> bought one. I quickly noticed the better optics. The other stuff, the >> cult, >> the glorious history of Leica in photojournalism, I learned later. That >> was >> nice, and it made me feel part of something. But what truly mattered was >> that the camera fit me. >>>> It's now over 50 years later, and many things have changed. Most medium >> to high end lenses are sufficient in optical quality. Autofocus can often >> be more accurate and faster than RF focusing by eye. The change from film >> to digital taught me that there is no such thing as perfection. The RFs >> that we thought were perfect on Kodachrome or Panatomic-X were calibrated >> to a reasonable compromise, which we could easily see once we went >> digital. >> Focus shift was real. Film grain and thickness covered up some optical >> flaws. But many of these flaws can only be seen when we pixel peep. Aside >> from jerks on Internet photo forums, who cares? Pixel peeping is a false >> god. There is a point (a zone, really) of diminishing returns on absolute >> optical quality. >>>> I too have been to Wetzlar and watched Peter Karbe demonstrate how much >> better the newest ASPH lenses are, zooming into a flower until we could >> see >> the tiniest structures. It was miraculous and inspiring, and we were all >> in >> awe. But I also had to ask myself how much all this would help me in my >> mostly handheld photography. And how many thousands of dollars would I be >> willing (or not) to spend, just to push a smidge further into that zone of >> diminishing returns? >>>> I suspect that solving problems like distortion and smearing in the >> corners and edges of the frame are not either-or solutions, but a matter >> of >> *both* optics and software. Let each craft do what it's best at, such that >> it annoys the photographer as little as possible. That may not be the best >> solution for competing with Japan, but it probably is the best >> photographic >> solution. >>>> A big problem is Leica's prices. Most pro photographers left them long >> ago. Even most serious amateurs no longer aspire to Leica. Wetzlar just >> smiles, pushes the boundaries further and raises prices again. >>>> In a way, I'm lucky. I bought most of my Leica lenses when they were >> more affordable. I'm happy with my M10-P and original "Henri" Monochrom. >> In >> some ways I prefer the aesthetics of the classic lenses. A couple of my >> lenses are (heresy!) Voigtlanders, and I like them. So I don't have to buy >> anything else if I don't want to. But that doesn't make me a Leica >> customer. It makes me a Customer Emeritus. I hope there are enough >> doctors, >> lawyers, dentists and collectors of expensive things to make up for folks >> like me. >>>> --Peter >>>> Don Dory wrote: >>>>> I had the chance to talk to a high ranking individual within the Leica >>>>> organization at breakfast. The gist was that Leica was proceeding on >> an >>>>> optical solution rather than a software enabled solution. Probably the >>>>> better solution as if the information is there software can take it >> to an >>>>> even higher level. However, it puts Leica on a cost effective curve >> that >>>>> makes their products even more exclusive: also, it hurts production >> volume >>>>> as some of their designs have very high defect rates by Leica >> standards. >>>>> Obviously this drives an even higher price point. >>>>> >>>>> Last, one of the participants received a survey from Leica with one >>>>> question about Japanese production of lenses at a (much) lower price >>>>> point. So, Leica is aware of the pricing problem and is trying to >> work on >>>>> it. >>>>> >>>>> Last, this Leica representative clarified the classic stool of any >> product: >>>>> price, size, performance. You could have any two. I am currently >> weighing >>>>> this as I own several of Sigma's most excellent lenses for the FE >> mount. >>>>> Their performance is magnificent however the average weight is in the >>>>> neighborhood of 1.5 kilograms compared to my 35 ASPH Summilux in the >> high >>>>> 300 grams. The Sigma is a better lens but my shoulder and hand don't >>>>> appreciate the weight as much as my eyes appreciate the image quality. >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Dr. Peter Dzwig >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information