tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461963482725202534.post6874698514178686952..comments2024-01-27T01:08:48.776-05:00Comments on Tim Connor: Leica worshipTim Connorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093257932816782629noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461963482725202534.post-3634211730242551972007-09-25T16:59:00.000-04:002007-09-25T16:59:00.000-04:00Hey, it's not just dentists who buy Leicas, but la...Hey, it's not just dentists who buy Leicas, but lawyers (like me), too! I do use mine regularly, though, & am often amused by those who believe that any camera can magically improve one's photography. I share your disappointment @ Lane's article as I think it would have been much more interesting if he had examined more closely, & critically, the link between an artist & his/her tools. I found it strange that someone could write a paean to a camera he had hardly ever used (Lane admits towards the end that he never used a Leica until he rented a new M8), but it appears you did something similar in your GQ days. As a side note, it is indeed a shame that nice tools like Leicas are too expensive for many artists, but Leicas have always been expensive (even back in the '20s & '30s, their core market was well-off amateurs). It was just that back in the day, there wasn't an abundance of inexpensive good-quality gear, so we can thank the Japanese photographic industry for today's cornucopia.furcafehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00053343009970395926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461963482725202534.post-27484369614125832942007-09-23T20:15:00.000-04:002007-09-23T20:15:00.000-04:00I think of Leica as a serious camera for a serious...I think of Leica as a serious camera for a serious kind of photographer. I've never used one and only held one a few times. I handled one of their digital models at PhotoExpo last fall. The most appealing attribute is that it remains a compact little camera with a good range of fast lenses. It's still too costly for me, and I agree with Ron that some of the people who buy this may just be buying the prestige of the package. But I might think differently were I a working photojournalist or documentarian working in settings where the light is low, the action fast and the potential for adversity high.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461963482725202534.post-5482480677828483622007-09-23T20:04:00.000-04:002007-09-23T20:04:00.000-04:00Tim: "I could easily succumb to nostalgia for a sh...Tim:<BR/> "I could easily succumb to nostalgia for a sharp little camera that does everything you want but doesn't even need a battery. It seems more honest somehow"<BR/><BR/>I don't know about the honesty part, but, yes, among other things about it, I like my M4 because I don't have to remember to turn it off. I still use it quite a lot.<BR/>Keith DannemillerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461963482725202534.post-88068785487478743052007-09-23T12:00:00.000-04:002007-09-23T12:00:00.000-04:00I read this article before seeing this post and wa...I read this article before seeing this post and was thinking about how limiting a conversation about equipment can be to an authentic consideration of a photogrpaher's art. <BR/><BR/>The Leica did it ....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461963482725202534.post-72672891719611961502007-09-22T23:50:00.000-04:002007-09-22T23:50:00.000-04:00I have read the New Yorker essay earlier today and...I have read the New Yorker essay earlier today and was entranced, as much by the description of the "kiss" of the shutter as anything else. I'd love to hear that, but the thought of actually dealing with film again in a quantity big enough to warrant having that pricey a camera is daunting. I think I'll stick with the "slice" of my Nikon. Nice essay. I'd love to read those old GQ pieces. What a trip.Christine (CA)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01786416112275691298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461963482725202534.post-58182029427251660772007-09-21T15:01:00.000-04:002007-09-21T15:01:00.000-04:00lovely essay about the Leica, Tim. I love the imag...lovely essay about the Leica, Tim. I love the image of dentists buying them like people by books for their coffee tables.<BR/><BR/>This subject reminds me of the area I live in in England: it's famous for its old architecture. Americans covet it. People come from the world around. And what does the xoning board say ? We must continue building fake old buildings to "fit in".<BR/><BR/>I say, every generation has its own styles. And you're right, if those great photographers had had access to digital cameras, they'd have been just as pleased as you. Because, whatever the camera is, it's down to the humanity of the individual taking the picture; that person's creative spark & story-telling skills. For that there is no buying and hoarding. Thank goodness the ability to make a great picture is not for sale in any shop.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com