Why the leica Hate?

[dude163]

Hi ,

recently since I opened a google+ account I have had 2 or 3 occasions where people have been quite abrasive and/or insensitive with comments on some of my shots, and it seems to stem from the fact that I own a leica .

" Owning a leica wont make you a better photographer"
" Oh a Leica, when is your first gallery opening?"

I concur with the first statement , but my reply was

" Will owning a Leica make me a WORSE Photographer?"

cue tumbleweeds and crickets chirping from the lame-o


I just wanted to see if anyone else has encountered this, I put it down to envy to be honest, because one of the commenters owns about 20 cameras and I bet if he added up the cost he could buy a M9 with a 50 lux.

Like I said, I just wanted to get this off my chest as I was a little disappointed more than anything else as one of the people was someone whose shots and photos I actually liked, oh well


Cheers

Robert

 

[Brian S]

There are those on each end of the fringe. The "Leica is the one-true path" on one extreme, and "Anybody with a Leica is a poser" on the other. The vocal minority on each side, brought out by the Internet.

But hey, until Argus comes out with a full-frame Digital version of the C-3, I'll just have to stick with the M9...




Pass the beer nuts.

 

[Vivek]

Hi ,

recently since I opened a google+ account I have had 2 or 3 occasions where people have been quite abrasive and/or insensitive with comments on some of my shots, and it seems to stem from the fact that I own a leica .

" Owning a leica wont make you a better photographer"
" Oh a Leica, when is your first gallery opening?"

I concur with the first statement , but my reply was

" Will owning a Leica make me a WORSE Photographer?"

cue tumbleweeds and crickets chirping from the lame-o


I just wanted to see if anyone else has encountered this, I put it down to envy to be honest, because one of the commenters owns about 20 cameras and I bet if he added up the cost he could buy a M9 with a 50 lux.

Like I said, I just wanted to get this off my chest as I was a little disappointed more than anything else as one of the people was someone whose shots and photos I actually liked, oh well


Cheers

Robert

Robert, I am one who can buy a couple M9s and a whole set of new primes if I wanted. I won't as I do not see why I should waste my money on them.

The S2 lenses are enchanting but the camera is over priced for what it can deliver.

The other Panasonic made Leica badged P&S cameras are pointless.

So, there you have it.

 

[dude163]

Vivek, I cant tell if you are being serious or not, why would an M9 be a waste of money?

and a S2 is overpriced compared to what?

 

[TRSmith]

Sometimes the internet seems like a sci-fi movie where everyone has the ability to hear what everyone else is thinking. And much of the time, it seems as if everyone is a brat.

To he#l with them. Enjoy yourself. Buy and shoot whatever camera you want. Your joy is all the justification you need.

Best,
Tim

 

[Vivek]

Vivek, I cant tell if you are being serious or not, why would an M9 be a waste of money?

and a S2 is overpriced compared to what?

Robert, I am serious and being honest with my opinion. I do not envy nor am my hateful.

The question is if Leica is relevant today. To me it i really isn't- not as far as photography is concerned.

However one may write or reason, mirrorless have taken over the RF and the proof is in the pudding. Just look at the number images taken with a NEX or a m4/3rds or a Fuji cam relative to Leica snaps. Some Leica owners tend to claim that despite the NEX-7, or the GH-2 or the X Pro 1 the M9 is the best while keep using the "other" cameras more and more.

As for the S2, as I said, I am really taken with the lenses. That is about it.

 

[rayyan]

Robert, you are the only one that matters in this situation. You bought a Leica M9 with your money. You are satisfied with your purchase. You enjoy the use of the camera and the results you get with it.

Opinions of others, in this matter, you should let go unnoticed and in the trash bin.

It could be envy by some, but then again it could be the result they arrive at by their standards of measurement.

That in 2012, there exists a camera whose price is high ( relatively speaking )
with no AF, poor low light performance etc etc does call into question the
price/performance ratio for a lot of people.

But for one who, aware of such ' shortcomings ' of an M9, purchases a Leica
for what brings joy, and results for him/her..other considerations should be treated as noise.

Noise for some, might be music to others and vice versa.

Enjoy what you have.

 

[monza]

To he#l with them.

Yep.

Post that your pics were taken with a point and shoot.

Or just block the offenders on G+.

 

[KeithL]

I've never had camera envy hate mail. Sounds fun. Makes me want to buy Leica.

 

[atanabe]

Robert, I am serious and being honest with my opinion. I do not envy nor am my hateful.

The question is if Leica is relevant today. To me it i really isn't- not as far as photography is concerned.

However one may write or reason, mirrorless have taken over the RF and the proof is in the pudding. Just look at the number images taken with a NEX or a m4/3rds or a Fuji cam relative to Leica snaps. Some Leica owners tend to claim that despite the NEX-7, or the GH-2 or the X Pro 1 the M9 is the best while keep using the "other" cameras more and more.

As for the S2, as I said, I am really taken with the lenses. That is about it.

Vivek,
I agree with your statement about m4/3 and all of the mirror less systems overtaking the RF market - just like the Ford F150 pickup sells more units than a Porsche Carrera S. Both take pictures or get you from point A to B but which is more fun?

There are only so many hours given in life so enjoy it while you can in the way that you can.

-Al

 

[6x7]

these kind of comments which are mostly completely superfluous may come from two categories of people.

1. those who don't own a Leica and 2. those who own/owned/sold their Leica and so many times have missed the most magical moments due to habits of the (M)system…

both parties may not have understood the approach to this system.

peter

 

[SYGTAFOTO]

It is like religion. Outsiders will never understand.

 

[JSRockit]

People can be and will be idiots and the internet makes it annonymous. Who gives a crap what someone thinks of your equipment. It's their issue, not yours. It's the same as digital vs. film, or color vs. B&W... everyone thinks what they use and what they do is the only right path. f em.

 

[PatrickCheung]

That was my friend's reaction when he found out how much my M8 was.

Some people think it's silly for me to spend that much on a camera... some people think it's worth it.

Nobody I know seems to think that buying a Leica means you have more photographic talent though. I think I can understand WHY someone would assume that people who own leicas think they can take better photos.

Back when I was an all-DSLR shooter, my friends would always go nuts about people with big expensive lenses. They'd assume that once you bought a 70-200/2.8, you were a master of photography. Pair that with a D3s or 1Ds Mk3 and you're god. It seemed like they thought that the more you paid for your stuff, the better your equipment was. And I guess there's some sort of reasoning behind that... if you're better, you can justify more expensive equipment right? So maybe people would assume that you bought a damned expensive Leica because you either have the photographic skills to justify it, or because you think it'll help you take better photos.

The other issue might be that the photographic crowd that is so obsessed with features sees the Leica cameras as overpriced pieces of junk. I mean, you have to focus with your hands... there's no built in infrared flash trigger, you can't even see what your lens is seeing. But you're paying more for the Leica than you are the Canikon D3s Mk53. Thus, you must be a snob who thinks you're better than the rest because you own a Leica.

Just my take on it. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[dude163]

Thanks for the replies gang , I basically did what everyone has said, I blocked the lamers and I dont care what others think, I just like using my M8 ( not an M9 unfortunately ..) and the photographic process is what intrigues me more than all of the latest whizbang features.

Heck if I want instant gratification and AF I use instagram on my iPhone, lol

cheers
Robert

 

[Bob]

Blow them away with your images, no matter what you shoot.

"that is all" (ref: The Devil Wears Prada)

 

[Godfrey]

I like to remember what Dick Feinmann said, "Why do you care what other people think?"

I could care less who thinks I'm a poser or a member of the 'elite cognoscenti' or whatever. I bought the Leica M9 because I feel it is the best camera for what I want to do. I don't care what anyone else thinks of it.

Yeah, it's expensive. That seems to be the rub for a lot of folks. So what? Lots of things are expensive, it doesn't make them special. And my having one doesn't make me special. It's a camera, that's all. I make my photographs with it, just ilke I make my photographs with other cameras.

Life's too short to listen to nonsense or take it seriously.

 

[Hosermage]

"Owning a leica wont make you a better photographer"

You can replace "leica" with anything and it will still be true. Like Bob said, I think the images should speak for themselves, and I'd only want to look into the EXIF data about equipment/lens/aperture/iso/shutter, if I like it and want to think about how I would duplicate it.

I've never find a photo I liked and to only dislike it after I find out it was shot with a certain equipment. It has only made me want it more ;-) Many Nocti shots comes to mind.

 

[Paratom]

Hi ,

recently since I opened a google+ account I have had 2 or 3 occasions where people have been quite abrasive and/or insensitive with comments on some of my shots, and it seems to stem from the fact that I own a leica .

" Owning a leica wont make you a better photographer"
" Oh a Leica, when is your first gallery opening?"

I concur with the first statement , but my reply was

" Will owning a Leica make me a WORSE Photographer?"

cue tumbleweeds and crickets chirping from the lame-o


I just wanted to see if anyone else has encountered this, I put it down to envy to be honest, because one of the commenters owns about 20 cameras and I bet if he added up the cost he could buy a M9 with a 50 lux.

Like I said, I just wanted to get this off my chest as I was a little disappointed more than anything else as one of the people was someone whose shots and photos I actually liked, oh well


Cheers

Robert

I havent encountered this problem in "real life", maybe somtimes in the internet people would say its overpriced and for snobs and "the photographer takes the image not the camera".

For me I mostly use Leica M9 and S2 because those camera systems work best for me, in regards to using them and also in regards to IQ.

If for other people other cameras work better - fine.
If those people think to also know what works better for me .. Leave me alone.

Using a Leica doesnt make one a better photographer. However not using a Leica doesnt make one a better photographer either.

 

[Gary Clennan]

Just keep on doing your thing and enoying photography.... It's really unfortunate as the M system could potetially help a few of these folks become a "better" photographer. Why rule out a sytem one has never even tried?