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Eoin · 05/15/08, 11:35 AM

To a degree I agree with Vic, if leica were to adopt a marketing strategy around these themes they have set and requested images from users for, it wouldn't attract or interest me.
To my mind a Leica M is a photographers camera, in the sense it requires a knowledge of the fundamentals of photography to be able to use it with any confidence. Perhaps this is one of the endearing qualities, the tangible self satisfaction of understanding the decisions you made at exposure are reflected in the image that lays before you.

It's also true that any camera when striped of it's auto functions could give this satisfaction but there is something pure in the M, it's metallic tactile feel, precision and quality, hankering back to a time where I learnt photography and a familiar man machine interface.

Another point that interests me with the M is it's ability to utilise all the lenses throughout it's history, each lens brings it's own dynamic in terms of tone, clarity and ambiance. With other camera manufacturers (I shot Canon for the past 25 years) it seems to be the current range from the advent of AF only that is compatible, most of the history of that marque is locked out through lens mount changes or stopped down shooting. Leica seems to have soul in it's history of lenses and as a hobby it's fun to experiment with different looks.

The issue I see and I suppose the 64 million dollar question is how to attract new users to the platform. I re entered the M system back in Nov 2006 after the introduction of the M8 and I threw a lot of disposable cash into the love of my hobby. As I look back now I have mixed feelings, I enjoy the compactness of everything, the quality of the images and the amazing soul of the lenses. But and it's a big but, the costs have gone haywire. In nearly 2 years I've seen prices rise to a level which if I were to consider adopting today would pose serious questions in terms of value.

Like i said at the start to me the M is a photographers camera, it's soul I believe can only truly be understood by those who have a passion for their art and expression. I think any good photographer can make a stunning image with any camera, but it's the nuances that the photographer sees in his images shot with leica that make it special, that's what Leica is all about IMO my personal satisfaction.

05/15/08, 11:35 AM	#3 (permalink)
Eoin Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 10/31/06 Location: Dublin Posts: 1,163	Re: identity crisis ... or even worse ?! To a degree I agree with Vic, if leica were to adopt a marketing strategy around these themes they have set and requested images from users for, it wouldn't attract or interest me. To my mind a Leica M is a photographers camera, in the sense it requires a knowledge of the fundamentals of photography to be able to use it with any confidence. Perhaps this is one of the endearing qualities, the tangible self satisfaction of understanding the decisions you made at exposure are reflected in the image that lays before you. It's also true that any camera when striped of it's auto functions could give this satisfaction but there is something pure in the M, it's metallic tactile feel, precision and quality, hankering back to a time where I learnt photography and a familiar man machine interface. Another point that interests me with the M is it's ability to utilise all the lenses throughout it's history, each lens brings it's own dynamic in terms of tone, clarity and ambiance. With other camera manufacturers (I shot Canon for the past 25 years) it seems to be the current range from the advent of AF only that is compatible, most of the history of that marque is locked out through lens mount changes or stopped down shooting. Leica seems to have soul in it's history of lenses and as a hobby it's fun to experiment with different looks. The issue I see and I suppose the 64 million dollar question is how to attract new users to the platform. I re entered the M system back in Nov 2006 after the introduction of the M8 and I threw a lot of disposable cash into the love of my hobby. As I look back now I have mixed feelings, I enjoy the compactness of everything, the quality of the images and the amazing soul of the lenses. But and it's a big but, the costs have gone haywire. In nearly 2 years I've seen prices rise to a level which if I were to consider adopting today would pose serious questions in terms of value. Like i said at the start to me the M is a photographers camera, it's soul I believe can only truly be understood by those who have a passion for their art and expression. I think any good photographer can make a stunning image with any camera, but it's the nuances that the photographer sees in his images shot with leica that make it special, that's what Leica is all about IMO my personal satisfaction.