It's 7000$ dollars guys - and in my mind it's chasing phantom allure of some *thing* that's supposed to be the end-all-be-all-yadda-yadda and Leica is laughing all the way to the bank. They depend on this mystique factor and people who buy into it play it up (almost because they have to).
I wouldn't be paying 7k$ for a Noctilux either when I could produce the same images from a 500$ lens (Rokkor 58/1.2MC) on a 50$ camera - and, if I wanted to, say they were taken with a Noctilux and people would believe it. I'm not paying 14 times for something that's 2% different just because everyone tells me I should be doing it.
Do we lack the critical thinking to examine this for what it is or are our wallets controlled by mystique and marketing? Do not let emotion and "potentiality" control your money. This is what they want. Unless you're entirely limited by the cameras you have now, it's a zero-sum game (and usually a loss) to sell everything and buy something else.
@clayne,
I would like to gently point out that the above is your simply your opinion, nothing more. As such, it is no more valid than my opinion or kxl's or anyone else who posts their thoughts on this forum.
It seems that based on your commentary, we could safely arrive at the conclusion that you judge everything by the money it represents and that you value money above all else in terms of the things or experiences money could be spent on in order to enrich our lives, make them more enjoyable or elevate the quality of our lives.
If that is the case, you are entitled to your worldview. However, you are
not entitled to judge or question the intelligence, priorities or critical thinking ability of any one else here based on your worldview - and after reading your comments, it pretty much sounds as if you have done exactly that.
The human body need six things to survive; those things are -
1: Air to breathe
2: Water to drink
3: Food/nourishment
4: Medical care
5: Shelter/a place to live in
6: Clothing to keep us warm and shield us from the elements
Beyond those six necessities, anything and everything else is a luxury - but no one wants to live a life where they have only those six things.
Living such a life would amount to little more than existing.
No one who owns a Harley-Davidson, a sailboat, a swimming pool, a 52" HDTV, a stereo system, a Rolex watch, a classic car, a dog, a cat, a camera, a lens, etc. actually
needs those things in order to survive.
These things cost money that does not absolutely have to be spent in the pursuit of survival. Does that mean that anyone who buys any of those things is foolish, incapable of critical thought or just plain stupid?
No.
These things enrich the lives of those who own them. Does the desire to simply enjoy life mean that a person worships at the altar of the latest trinket? Does it mean that the person engages in compulsive shopping, addictive consumerism, rampant materialism and a never ending gobbling up of things?
I would have to say
no, provided that the provisions of my original post in this thread (#20) are satisfied:
Yes, $7000 for an M240 is pretty damn salty, just like $6500 for a lens is pretty damn salty. These facts beg the question: SO FREAKING WHAT??
If you can afford the M240 without selling a kidney, running a meth lab, making your wife turn tricks, stealing several elderly people's social security checks or robbing a bank, then I say JUST DO IT.
The pain of paying soon fades (which coincides with FedEx delivering your purchase) and is replaced by the satisfaction of daily use of your dream camera or lens. That satisfaction lasts forever - just as the regret of not obtaining your object of desire will last forever. I know which I'd rather live with.
Just some food for thought...
