canon versus leica - the changing value of things ( a personal walk)


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gtan

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Jan 26, 2005
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as an amateur photographer, i shoot canon, leica R and leica M. 2 different makers, 3 lovely camera systems. beautiful images from all but under the lens hood, a world of difference .....

changing values

i love canon but the moment i buy a camera or lens( my first canon was a 5D ) the value drops 20 to 30 % . why? becos new models come out ever so often. my leica M6 ? can sell at a higher price now than when bought. my leica R 70-180 mm apo zoom? bought for $5k now going on ebay for $10k

image quality

now before u all scold me and say this idiot start only talk money, i must say that i love the canon images - bright, colourful. 5 D autofocus easy to shoot. bang bang bang bang like machine gun then later spend long time choose good images. lieca M ? i am like a sniper - quiet . zone focus . shoot from the hip. in prohibited places also naughty naughty shoot ( eg perth mint where photos are banned!) image quality - life like colours . contrast and clarity ? unbeatable. different shooting style. leica R? the superb colour, contrast and quality from german glass. ,y apo 28 to 90 zoom and the 19 mm are my favourites. both f 2.8

construction

sadly my canon ef len or even theL lenses ok to use but lack the silky smoothness of the leicas. after a while the ef lens get loose and even the so called L lenses . my M and R lenses feel even smoother todsay then when i got them 20 years ago. the more u use the better they get

cult following

the funny thing about leica is the recognition u get when using one. we all have this small thing in us called ' ego' and sometimes nice for little ego to be fed. on more than one occasion i hear someone say ": hey he's using a leica!" when i shoot on a move or i would just hook up with a random stranger in a different country with the same M cam hanging round his neck, chat n talk photography.or walk into a leica shop with a M or R and u get some degree of service. membership has its privileges. i see someone with a beat up M on the move i know he knows photography. no need to say more.

and now me ... the consumer.!!

so leica holds or even appreciates in value. rarity of R lenses now out of production. a crazy cult following. recognition . my 5D takes super images. easy to use . autofocus. easy to sell too but lose money like crazy. fporget about professional reviews and pix analysis. put 2 shots side by side and from the quality i can tell u which was taken by my 5D mk 2 and which with my leica. canon nice but i prefer leica colours.

not to mention the bokeh ohhhhh the bokeh !! just got the noctilux f 0.95 coupled to my M - gosh love shooting wide open . amazing photos. my canon sadly opens only to f 2.8. for me, general use i use canon- play play. need good pix, i use my leicas. or if want to churi churi shoot at concerts. noctilux . cos for me i dont photoshop. too lazy .. zzzzz.

should we buy canon, use , sell, and lose money or buy leica- use, enjoy, keep, later sell maybe even make money? u economists or financial advisers out there know:):) better. me just amateur photographer. then u all will say again this joker start thread talk money end thread also talk money . aiya sorrl la just my thoughts
 

Canon cameras are made for the masses, from consumers to professionals. Leica is a luxury item. Different targets, different rules of the market. Pointless to compare. And you mentioned already the ego factor ..
Use what you can afford, no need to make a philosophy discussion over it.
 

dun really understand your question. are you asking for opinions to decide on whether u should continue to buy canons, or trying to convince the rest of us to just buy purely leicas?
sounds more like the latter, no?

Appreciation in value is dependent on the model, and ss/dd. I am very sure not all leicas appreciate in value. Def not the M8, me thinks? Also, let's not forget the cost of servicing/maintenance.

anyway, end of the day, to each his own. Photography is about making good pictures, not so much on equipment. Whichever equipment allows you to make your best pictures, just get it. :)
 

nah just my thoughts in an idle moment. octarine thanks for your compliment . me no philosopher. thread aimed at mass buyers who may be sitting on the fence to buy new canon or save a little to buy leica. thought my little expose wld help. in a nutshell i have lost many photo opportunities with the leica cos of the manual focussing which i wld have captured with the canon but leica somehow more fun to use. manalishi i like what u said- my good pro fren takes better shots on his iphone 5 than me with my cam haha
 

my good pro fren takes better shots on his iphone 5 than me with my cam haha
In that case it's clear where your efforts should go to ;)
 

when we are 5 feet below the ground, nothing left behind except our legacy.

do you think which thing will make a lasting impact to people when we pass on, is it our photography works? or our photography gears?



If is our photography works, do you think does anybody care about what gears we use to create it?

If we think our photography works is not significant enough, it is always good to spend more on gears, so that our descendants can make some money by selling them as antiques.



so the bottom line is enjoy your hobby while you can. Don't think so hard, life is short.
 

I came in to +1.
 

Canon do have a 50 f1

That appreciated in value too.

Not sure what's your point over here

+1
 

i see someone with a beat up M on the move i know he knows photography. no need to say more.

:bsmilie:
quote of the day

nah just my thoughts in an idle moment. octarine thanks for your compliment . me no philosopher. thread aimed at mass buyers who may be sitting on the fence to buy new canon or save a little to buy leica. thought my little expose wld help. in a nutshell i have lost many photo opportunities with the leica cos of the manual focussing which i wld have captured with the canon but leica somehow more fun to use. manalishi i like what u said- my good pro fren takes better shots on his iphone 5 than me with my cam haha

plus self pwn thread of the day.
 

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sorry was not clear . not trying to be a snob here but the german lens construction i feel is better. smoother. more shiok to use. i have canon L lenses . very functional but lack the buttery feel. please dont get me wrong i have a large bank overdraft
 

hey i like that ! legacy! i thk the kids will aprreciate cameras more than the photos cos they dont appreciate the nice shots i took of them as much as i do. like a cook leaving behind the oven and utensils to new cooks to cook the way they want
 

It's like comparing Rolex watches and digital watches. If U wan it to retain value u need to make it the old fashion way. I dun believe the new digital Leica body will retain as much value as the old mechanical ones.

Lens is another story though but I think some canon and Nikon lens also appreciate or retain much of the original value.

In the end you buy what you need. Lecia is not suitable for all genre of photography. Birding? Macro? Sports? Super high iso?
 

sorry was not clear . not trying to be a snob here but the german lens construction i feel is better. smoother. more shiok to use. i have canon L lenses . very functional but lack the buttery feel. please dont get me wrong i have a large bank overdraft
I guess you have to decide whether you want to become a photographer or remain a gear fetishist ... At the moment you are closer to the latter.
hey i like that ! legacy! i thk the kids will aprreciate cameras more than the photos cos they dont appreciate the nice shots i took of them as much as i do. like a cook leaving behind the oven and utensils to new cooks to cook the way they want
Maybe it's because your kids are not interested in religiously glorified bokeh and razor thin depth of field, but you missed to shoot them in their most natural way playing last weekend - because your buttery manual focusing just sucks big time for this purpose? The right tool for the right purpose. Your image of the cook is flawed: the legacy would be his dishes and the recipes he created. Who cares about the oily, black pans and oven?
 

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nah just my thoughts in an idle moment. octarine thanks for your compliment . me no philosopher. thread aimed at mass buyers who may be sitting on the fence to buy new canon or save a little to buy leica. thought my little expose wld help. in a nutshell i have lost many photo opportunities with the leica cos of the manual focussing which i wld have captured with the canon but leica somehow more fun to use. manalishi i like what u said- my good pro fren takes better shots on his iphone 5 than me with my cam haha

What? Seriously? A Leica costing a little more than a Canon?
 

Since you have made such a broad sweeping statement, it will be better if you had some photos and comparison shots to prove your point.
 

The old adage goes "A bad workman blames his tools."

Leica. Fujifilm. Canon. Nikon. Pentax. Sony. Apple. Hasselblad. Whatever. They are all tools in the hands of the workman. Each will have its strengths an weakness. Each has its character. It is in knowing it well that you can bring the best out of it, and in knowing the limitations and easily switching over to what is practical.

Perhaps you could bring your Leica R to the African Safari while another one of us brings his Nikon D70 with the 400mm f2.8. Let's see who gets the nicest close ups of the lioness' teeth.

My 2¢.
Fs.
 

sorry was not clear . not trying to be a snob here but the german lens construction i feel is better. smoother. more shiok to use. i have canon L lenses . very functional but lack the buttery feel. please dont get me wrong i have a large bank overdraft


You have a very narrow scope of what's out there.
L lenses are modern lenses made for AF.
The focusing will not be damped like MF lenses.
Same as saying that L lenses AF while the Leica's don't seem to AF (bit of a oxymoron).


Zeiss, M42 mounts; Voigtlander, et, MF lenses all have smooth focusing, solidly built lenses and fit a Canon.
There is even CZJ (oh! god forbid a low cost east german), and the likes of the Primoplan and Biotar 75mm (and others), which is a worthy adversary to any other make.
 

sorry was not clear . not trying to be a snob here but the german lens construction i feel is better. smoother. more shiok to use. i have canon L lenses . very functional but lack the buttery feel. please dont get me wrong i have a large bank overdraft

One man meat is another man's poison. I too like German lens that's why am hooked on Zeiss which works very well with my Canon.
No point doing comparisons it as it will never end.
 

What? Seriously? A Leica costing a little more than a Canon?

why did I get the poor mans Leica then :( should have gotten a Leica. dang.
 

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