Leicas (or any rangefinder camera), is a different, restricted use beast and
not any better or worse than any other camera.
The Leicas are actually very nice things to take pictures with, contrary to
some opinions. Just as the OM's are also nice, and at their end, ridiculously
expensive for what you got. Whether you use a C/B analysis for every purchase
depends on how much you use that piece of equipment. I have both OM's and
Leicas and have had them for years. Both get used. (Note - I put M-Leicas in
a totally different class than LTM cameras, which are pretty fiddly to use with
their antiquated working styles. Don't compare a 1950's IIIf with an OM-1 and
expect them to compare well, except for build quality.)
Pardon me if I get a bit wispy, but the RF camera lends itself to a different,
more intimate way of working, IMO. You don't hide behind the camera like you
do with an SLR, but look at the subject at the same time as the picture gets
taken. The framelines allow a more relaxed, if possibly inaccurate view of the
subject. Unlike an SLR, where it's as if you are looking at a slide, with it's
black background. The SLR paradigm helps immensely in framing accuracy,
showing exactly what you're going to get. The RF is much more casual with it's
framing accuracy.
You can get a Leica M at a reasonable price, less than $600 if you look, and
equip it with SOTA, aspherical-surfaced Cosina/Voigtlander lenses for prices
that are the equal of the better Zuikos. You can also buy a Bessa-R and get
90% of the Leica feel and experience for $3-400.
They're also over-priced, IMO. But German labor costs are high these days. :-)
Skip
>
>Subject: [OM] Re: Leica shots
> From: "Scott Gomez" <scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 17:32:27 -0700
> To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>Not only don't, but never desired to. Bad cost/benefit analysis on those
>(IMHO) as cameras one would actually use. YMMV
>
>---
>Scott Gomez
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Cochran [mailto:cochran@xxxxxxxx]
>Subject: [OM] Re: Leica shots
>
>OK....poll time...Zuikoholics...How many own Leicas?
>
>I have a Leica IIIf with 50mm (5cm) Summitar f2
>
>peace
>
>David
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