by RYP » Thu May 27, 2010 2:08 pm
....and you never will.
It's a dog whistle thing. Leica, like many other obsessive brand identities appeals to those who understand what it takes to achieve that extra gap between good and the best. The root of the obsession has always been the lenses, not the body. And Leica has failed many times in that area. When Leica wanted me to convert from Nikon I went out and shot the same pics with both lenses and saw little to no difference. They pointed out that I was shooting at f8 which is the optimum setting for all lenses, cheap or expensive and allows the center of the lenses to do most of the work.
I went back out and shot again wide open and there was no comparison the Nikon stuff was crap, the Leica stuff was stunning. So from then on I shot wide open, slow film, funky light and am never disappointed. I shoot a Nikon D700 now because of the full frame and high sensitivity with the most expensive lenses Nikon makes and they are good but massive and clumsy, destroying the low key relationship a rangefinder builds with the subject. Leica has been making crap bodies and great lenses (you think the body is expensive, price a full lens kit) but there is no comparison. I am going to wait for the higher rez M10 if and when it ever comes out and I am watching the new rangefinder like digitals coming to market. For now I use my Panasonic with a wide Leica on artsy fartsy black and white and its pretty damn good.
You can see some of my pics on the Facebook site!