A horse doesn`t last a lifetime and indeed can keel over in an instant yet I never hear the complaints about cost that I hear expressed in these threads.
I've been around all sorts of barns, my whole life, on and off, and deep concern over cost was never absent. Expressing that concern to non-family, that is another matter. It is such a burden with horses, nobody wants to hear any whining because it reminds you of your own issues. It's just low-class to complain about it, and everybody knows this. "Can't afford it? You should not have a horse." The caveat, of course, are those with such means that the expenses do not mean sacrifice. They really have no concern for the rest as wealth destroys empathy in general. Except of course, for pets.
🙂
I think most photographers with any sense of history are damn glad Leica is still around. The volume of howling about the terrible Leica decisions then and now, only shows people care. Somehow Leica has managed to matter, even to enemies.
We should have a thread: List every Leica mistake!
🙂 the very fact we know so many, and they continue to make epic ones, and we continue to love their cameras and lenses, shows the stature of Leica. They are the founders 35mm photography. Their prices created Canikon. Most of the great shooters of the 20th century shot Leica at one time or the other. Oskar Barnack and Walter Mandler. Tell me more famous designers of cameras and lenses? Look at the modern M lens set. Incredible. Who else will give you a digital rangefinder? OK, RD-1, but they gave up quick, like a footnote. Sad, because the market is prime for a FF RD-X.
And right now, this moment, I would not trade my M9 for any other option. That includes 240 LOL. Of course it doesn't do everything, the A7.mod picks up the slack just fine. Like Roger said, Leica does not preclude anything. Most real pros have more than few bodies lying around, and so do most of those who love photography.
In fact Leica is a glue which helps bind the story of photography. If they ever go out of business it will be a mental catastrophe. But it so happens, this moment they are making 3 of the best cameras ever, S, SL and M...wait 4...add Q, and a bevy of spectacular lenses.
The price of "club" admission, has never been lower because in spite of misintertepations to the contrary, both the M8 and M9 are unbelievably good cameras, warts and all, and quite affordable. Lenses are really low now. 50 Lux can be found as low as 2200, and this is far lower the Leica R 50lux (II), which easily commands 3 grand.
Leica is an intregal part of the culture of photography, and the ability of only the name to fire passion, negative and positive, shows just how strong the "brand" remains.
🙂
