Leica does seem to attract more than its share of status-seekers. I won't
say that for Hassleblad, though. I've never met anyone who uses medium
format (any brand) who is not a serious photographer. MF is simply too much
trouble for the dabbler...
>Also, I don't doubt that Leica make superb cameras. The point is that when
>I take a photo with my OMs and with a Leica it may be impossible to see a
>difference. Which begs the question of what is the Leica owner paying for?
You are mostly correct but you miss an important point. There are
photographs you can get with a Leica that you will not get with an Olympus
or any SLR. And of course the reverse is also true--you will not put a 300
4.5 + tele-extender on a M6!
Living in NYC, I have been doing more and more 'street photography' lately,
something that I was always interested in but never really did well until I
got an M6 and 35 Summicron. You have to use it for a while to understand
what a really perfect camera this is.
Instead of using brand analogies, I think this is better...
A Leica is like a sports car. It's the last of a dying breed. It does many
things poorly that are important to many people, like carrying passengers
and luggage, and riding in quiet and comfort. However there are certain
things that it does better than anything else, and for those who appreciate
what it can do, they will pay top price to obtain it. For those who don't,
the ol' family sedan will do fine, and is certainly more versatile!
>No, I don't doubt their ability, but there are plenty of camera owners who
>buy Leica for the name of the front. The world of advertising is now based
>on brand identity - from Nike to MacDonalds, with Leica, Hasselblad, Rolex
>and a million others in between. Your status is indicated by the name on
>your watch, your trainers and your car. How many people think Hasselblad
>must be so great because it's been on the moon etc etc? Too many to count.
>But does it mean anything back on planet earth? Nope, only higher prices
>because they're paying for the name (this doesn't mean that all Hassy users
>have shit for brains, so don't flame me).
>
Regards,
Denton Taylor
_____________________________________
Photogallery at www.dentontaylor.com
Panoramic and immersive imaging at
www.threehundredsixty.com
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