Melvin
Flim Forever!
I've found his online info very informative, particularly his book on Leitz lenses, which I downloaded as a PDF. But who is he, what are his credentials?
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Who is Erwin Puts?
- Thread starter Melvin
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venchka
Veteran
A noted authority on everything Leitz.
Some like him.
Some hate him.
Some like him.
Some hate him.
bmattock
Veteran
You are either walking into a bear trap, or setting one. Erwin Puts is a writer, who primarily writes about Leica equipment. He is alternately loved and reviled by the Leicaphile and Leicaphobe, on alternate Wednesdays they switch. He evokes strong emotional responses, along the lines of Salman Rushdie.
As to his credentials, I have no idea. Those who hate him generally like to point out that he is not an especially inspiring photographer, as if that mattered when one is writing rather than photographing. If you like him, you may wish to keep it to yourself, lest you be debagged and radished by the Leica Sanhedrin.
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An interesting guy in the Netherlands. He is a self-proclaimed expert on Leica. I find that he has some great information that is clear and very knowledgeable. Some of the stuff he writes about is way over the top of my knowledge, others seems very subjective. For a time I never saw anything good about anything but Leica. He has been hard on Leica from time to time, mostly rightly so IMO.
I would recommend that you read everything he has but understand that real world impact of what he says some times is nonexistent.
B2 (;->
I would recommend that you read everything he has but understand that real world impact of what he says some times is nonexistent.
B2 (;->
kshapero
South Florida Man
He is knowledgeable guy with opinions like anyone else. He takes the time to "put" it out there, which is more than I can say for people like......me, who just sit on their butts and comment on him.
P
Petroleum V. Nasby
Guest
He is a guy who can photograph beautiful Nordic women and make every single one look horrible.
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
I don't like him. Can't understand half the things he writes either, but that's not the reason.
The reason I don't like him is that in reviewing absolutely, positively, ANYTHING non Leica, no matter how outstanding, he always rephrases his words in a way that it seems inferior to a Leica product. Even, *gasp*, if it is equal or better.
That's a skill too, of sorts...
And as the world's leading Leica measurebator you'd indeed expect better photography from him. But hey, testing and writing about lenses is so much more fun than going out and make some pictures...
The reason I don't like him is that in reviewing absolutely, positively, ANYTHING non Leica, no matter how outstanding, he always rephrases his words in a way that it seems inferior to a Leica product. Even, *gasp*, if it is equal or better.
That's a skill too, of sorts...
And as the world's leading Leica measurebator you'd indeed expect better photography from him. But hey, testing and writing about lenses is so much more fun than going out and make some pictures...
Michiel Fokkema
Michiel Fokkema
Erwin is a very kind and gentle man writing about Leica and photography.
His Leica lens compendium is excellent and I use it often.
You may not like him but there is absolutely no reason to bash him around. You'd know if you had ever met him. Some like going out photographing and other like testing lenses, camera's and developer. I have much more use from Erwin's testing than form your photographs.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
His Leica lens compendium is excellent and I use it often.
You may not like him but there is absolutely no reason to bash him around. You'd know if you had ever met him. Some like going out photographing and other like testing lenses, camera's and developer. I have much more use from Erwin's testing than form your photographs.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
ZeissFan
Veteran
The feeling is that he'll write an exhaustive report and then conclude at the end that the Leica product is better for intangible reasons.
I don't know him, so I have no reason to dislike or like him. He can be a bit long-winded, but I can too.
I don't know him, so I have no reason to dislike or like him. He can be a bit long-winded, but I can too.
sam_m
Well-known
Most film critics aren't great directors, most book reviewers aren't great authors, most art critics can't paint. I could go on.
Frank1969
Member
i never met him so I do not know him personally. Can't say if he is a kind person.
Mr Puts is Dutch and so am I. In the 1990's I was subscribed to a camera magazine for which he regularly wrote Leica related articles. Although most were interesting, you would know the conclusion already at the start of the article: "Leica is the best, no other brand offers a better product and this article proofs it in a scientific way so no one can proof the contrary".
Thus, the articles became boring. At one point I ended my subscribtion and I have not read much of him since. I sometimes have a look in the magazine stand, sometimes there is an article from him in the magazine but they seem not to have changed much.
He knows what he is writing about but he sometimes makes a joke of himself. For instance when he wrote a review of the Hexar RF. Not a good camera because it had automation, nobody who used a rangefinder needed that according to mr Puts, thus he did not like the Hexar RF. However, not much later came the Leica M7 and, according to mr Puts, the automation in the M7 was a gift from God, what we had been missing in a rangefinder for so long. Of course, the M7 was made by Leica and the Hexar RF was not thus it was no good.
I can't take him serious ever since.
Mr Puts is Dutch and so am I. In the 1990's I was subscribed to a camera magazine for which he regularly wrote Leica related articles. Although most were interesting, you would know the conclusion already at the start of the article: "Leica is the best, no other brand offers a better product and this article proofs it in a scientific way so no one can proof the contrary".
Thus, the articles became boring. At one point I ended my subscribtion and I have not read much of him since. I sometimes have a look in the magazine stand, sometimes there is an article from him in the magazine but they seem not to have changed much.
He knows what he is writing about but he sometimes makes a joke of himself. For instance when he wrote a review of the Hexar RF. Not a good camera because it had automation, nobody who used a rangefinder needed that according to mr Puts, thus he did not like the Hexar RF. However, not much later came the Leica M7 and, according to mr Puts, the automation in the M7 was a gift from God, what we had been missing in a rangefinder for so long. Of course, the M7 was made by Leica and the Hexar RF was not thus it was no good.
I can't take him serious ever since.
Dingo
Well-known
The lenses on your hands would definitely tell you more about themselves than Mr. Puts could.
ClaremontPhoto
Jon Claremont
fgianni
Trainee Amateur
His articles are actually quite interesting and worth reading, just remove the crap about "Leica is the best".
Anyway I remeber him reluctantly admitting that the CV 50mm 3.5 Heliar was, "very marginally" of course, better than the current Leica 50mm Elmar.
About his photographs, let's say they show he is a writer.
Anyway I remeber him reluctantly admitting that the CV 50mm 3.5 Heliar was, "very marginally" of course, better than the current Leica 50mm Elmar.
About his photographs, let's say they show he is a writer.
amin_sabet
Established
I don't dislike him, and I respect him for putting his opinion out there. I find it strange that he seems so unconcerned with out of focus rendition.
It is remarkable how he'll say a non-Leica lens is second to none and even imply that it's the best and then take it back in the same paragraph 🙂. There are exceptions, like when he said the 50 Nokton was better than the pre-asph 50 Summilux-M, but even then he felt compelled to say that the Nokton "wins on points" and loses to the Summilux-R by a great margin.
It is remarkable how he'll say a non-Leica lens is second to none and even imply that it's the best and then take it back in the same paragraph 🙂. There are exceptions, like when he said the 50 Nokton was better than the pre-asph 50 Summilux-M, but even then he felt compelled to say that the Nokton "wins on points" and loses to the Summilux-R by a great margin.
kevin m
Veteran
He's not an objective reviewer so much as a cheerleader for the Leica brand, writing pseudo-scientific prose that helps well-heeled photo buffs rationalize their purchases,(he's not alone in that) but once you're aware of that bias his reviews are useful to compare Leica lenses, at the very least.
As another poster mentioned, his Hexar RF comments were loony, as was his comment that putting non-Leica lenses on a Leica body was like "putting a Mercedes engine in a BMW." 😱
As another poster mentioned, his Hexar RF comments were loony, as was his comment that putting non-Leica lenses on a Leica body was like "putting a Mercedes engine in a BMW." 😱
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Bill,
On revisiting this thread to see if anything new had been said, I still find the above to be the perfect summary.
Cheers,
Roger
ClaremontPhoto
Jon Claremont
I heard that Mercedes has just signed a contract to supply engines to Aston Martin.
kevin m
Veteran
And I hear some punk kid had the nerve to win an F1 race with a Ferrari engine stuffed into something called a "Toro Rosso" chassis. Think how much money and anguish the investors, crew and drivers could have been spared had they only heeded Mr. Puts advice! 😀
ClaremontPhoto
Jon Claremont
Weren't they known as 'Minardi' a couple of years back - and they always finished last.
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