> I gotta jump in and say "What a load of crap." Leica owners have really > gotten associated with this business of fondling their gear, collecting > cameras rather than using them, and being just a bunch of image-craving > dilettantes. This image goes contrary to the Leica owners I know.
Shel, It's not entirely undeserved I don't think. For example there's a Leica specialist shop in London (UK) who's adverts often appear in the photo press with the tagline "Where the elite meet and greet". I mean, yuk! It's enough to send one scurrying in the direction of Voigtlander. Like you I've met some working photogs with battered Leicas hanging over their shoulders. But then again I've also got a few Christies auction catalogues full of the damn things and I don't think working photogs buy at Christies :-) Nothing is entirely undeserved. However, I'm just getting a little sick of hearing how Leica owners don't use their gear. There are plenty of Nikon and Canon (and yes, PENTAX) owners who are collectors or who baby their cameras. It is not brand specific. I've met a lot of list members, and quite a few of them have collector pieces, cameras that just sit on the shelf, or that only get taken out for a little exercise in fair weather, wrapped in their ever ready case and with a condom-like UV filter placed over the lens. I can think of several who searched long and hard for a particular black model in mint condition and who have NEVER used the gear. Of course, it's easy to point a finger at users of other brands ... Shel
