Will I ever catch up with the list? Probably not for a while - unless I decide to stay home at night... but where is the fun in that? Saw Seussical the Musical and will watch The Nutcracker later this week...
While in NYC I took the time to visit the Leica Gallery at 670 Broadway. A small exhibit of photographs, but most of them are quite notable... All taken, by my understanding, with Leica gear. The current exhibit (until 3 January) highlights the 2003 Leica Lifetime Achievement Award winner - Elliott Erwitt. This exhibit was not as captivating for me as previous ones I have viewed - though there was one photograph taken during JFK's funeral that really made the visit worthwhile... Anyway, I took the opportunity to grab a few of the catalogs and brochures they had available. Most interesting to see their marketing tack. Examples to follow... They have a brochure on the D-Lux digital as a visual diary of entertainer Bryan Adams. A quarter of the pages are full of text (two on specs). The rest contain images. Talk about elitist, they state 'legendary optical know-how' and 'a small series rather than for the large masses.' An interesting aspect is the fact that you can have an extended warranty or, not and, custom engraving on the base of the camera. They even state 'if at any time you don't have a good subject in sight, you still have a timeless object in your hands!' Gee, they could be talking about an LX. Snake-skinned or not :-) Herb got a kick out of this when I told him as we sat by Central Park outside the American Museum of Natural History during a PDML. The MP brochure actually has a cover! An excellent one at that. I enjoy part of the opening paragraph - 'The LEICA MP is a tool. ... Modern, because it captures the present. Current, because all its features have been optimized. Traditional, because it builds on the accumulated experiences of the pioneer in 35mm camera construction. Not a photographic whim, but a camera for life.' On another page - 'And because many pros love the red Leica dot, but discreetly cover it up on thier cameras, we have dispensed with this round logo right from the start. We believe that it is sufficient that knowledgeable photographers and owners readily identify the Leica as such. The delicate Leica script on the top cover is an adequate reminder.' It sounds like we Pentaxians :-) The reason for all the rambling? There is a market for the tactile, the intangible in photography. If it is not a pleasure to handle the camera, the time we use it is lessened. I have shot with the Nikon D1H and D1X. I cannot, due to size, carry it around comfortably for an extended amount of time - thus less shots taken. This is why I grab the LX first when heading out for shots. It feels the best in my hand, and add the snake skin over the leatherette and you have a pleasant experience. The *ist D is not as comfortable but comfortable enough to enjoy when shooting. Even the Optio S is the same in a p&s. Grabbing the MX? A joy too, but not as much as my LX. The MZ-S? Comes in second to the LX for the added aspect of its extra features. Along the same lines, I do enjoy taking out the screwmount camera and lenses for a spin. And with the added ability of using them on my *ist D I can see outings with this set. Now if only there were Limited lenses in the line :-) Thanks for sticking it out this far, C�sar Panama City, Florida
