Erik your point is well taken and to add my thoughts I would rather see a Pro photographer regardless of celebrity status but more importantly a person that has their preverbal neck on the line day in and day out. I have more faith in someone that works their butt off to make a living and has real clients to answer too and real demands on his gear. To me that says he or she has confidence in the gear to get the work done and done well but also the ability to the demands of robustness in the system and with satisfaction in the repair, service, parts and accessories to maintain their system. You don't just buy a camera you buy a system with all it's parts and I would have more faith with someone that shows that in their daily work. I have no issues with Seal as a person seems like a really nice guy and all that. But like you said he is a hobbyist just like anyone else and if a camera goes down or misses a shot it's not really a issue. There is no risk involved. I want to hear from the cliff hanging shooters with his neck on the line. Too me that would sell camera's and systems. First thing you say to yourself if it is working for him or her than it will work for me.
But I will say it was nice listening to him and his enthusiasm towards shooting Leica's but that alone won't sell me put the next guy up that is ripped to shreds from hanging off the cliff trying to get a shot for a client. Now that says something
Guy, Erik,
Why should i, as an amateur, give more thrust to a pro, like you Guy for instance (no pun intended), than to a famous person like seal? Not all pro's are like you describe, nor does that give me an indication whether that particular system is ok for me.
At the end of the day i believe it is about what suits one selves. Just like you said in earlier posts: give me some raw to start with, explain how test was done, above all take the time to test for yourself before engage in a system with its support. Indeed one buys a system and the support backing it up, regardless of what brand or model you buy.
So i do believe from a marketing point of view, which in essence about getting awareness, Seal is as good as any other well known person, not necessarely a famous photographer. For me personally the choice to buy or not is based on my own as objective as possible evaluations, with a touch of bias towards Leica.
Forums like these give me value in those evaluations, as do certain review sites, simply because the contributos/reviewers focus more on arguments (facts as they perceive it) than on unfunded opinions. Sites like the Jono also as it gives his experience and the results to accompany his findings.
Lookin forward to yours and others findings regarding the Leica paradigm.
Jan R. Smit
www.janrsmit.com