Now that Leica has entered the millenium and started a forum of its own on

http://www.leica-camera.com/cgi-bin/site_forum_main.pl?1

What does that mean for this forum??

-- thomas marker (thomas@advokat-marker.dk), September 28, 2000

Answers

This forum is alve and well ! In keeping with Leica`s new tradition of pandering to the rich and spoiled,the collectors and similar non-photographers that forum is unavailable to people like myself with simple internet tools.Another reason for NOT going there(like Pentax/Mamiya/etc site) is that the moderator would not permit some of the negative statements uttered here.Leica should have a good look what is being said on the internet. Leica may have a clue what is rotten in their thinking.As I said previously,we are all Leica-fans But with thinking and practical thoughts...The continuous tampering with the great design of the M3 and later M2 does not make a great camera or system.The many frames present in the viewfinder, is not good for composition,The "feel" of the earlier M-models is gone.The finish without "Leica" engraved on the top deck is a scandle.The serial number on the accessory shoe is pathetic.Sure the lenses are great.They are at the pinnacle of design and manufacture But again not all designed and definitely not all built at Solms.Sure the other makes,Canon,Nikon,Minolta,Pentax and others definitely share technology and components to save costs.The result is the Eos/the new "F""s,light years ahead of Leica...I prefer total control....so I stay with my Leica M3 33years old.If I were to buy new today...I would purchase a Hasselblad 501 kit which is same price as M6.(approx) The larger negative would yield immeiately superior results.I am at this forum for info and practical thoughts on the real use of a Leica and not here which new collector camera has been issued.Good for the company and the possible repair and service of my older equipment.There the Japanese fall flat on their faces with limited in time after sales sevice for so called professional equipment.5 years tops ! I worked for a Japanese company in a different field,in service.I ordered spare parts for new articles not yet sold by dealers but requiring attention and the unit was already labled "obsolete" and no parts available. Leica is a great camera and company.I just want a forum that is censorship free.May we all have great light and good exposures.

-- jason gold (jason1155234@webtv.net), September 28, 2000.

Having visited the new Leica site for a few weeks now, I can say that it only reinforces my thoughts that Tony's site is still one of the best on the net... My first stop after logging on in the morning.

The Leica site is unbelievable... They had a long thread where people insulted people from other countries, and asked for payback from where the US bailed them out in WWII. It is still there if you don't believe me.

There is a demigod who insists his is the only point of view... I won't mention his name, but after a quick perusal you won't have any problem finding him. There is not enough camera / photography talk to balance out the fluff.

My only true fear is that some of those people will find this site... now that would be a sad thing.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), September 28, 2000.

Yes, the official site is not good and, as is so often the way with websites, the Leica website "improvement" is no such thing. It is hard to read and sometimes very confusing (just how do you get product information??). The old site was fine I thought and worked pretty well.

The forum is terrible. They need a good moderator. I am also amused by the fact that there is no "official" Leica responder. I guess this might be asking for trouble............

-- Robin Smith (rsmith@springer-ny.com), September 28, 2000.

I think the traffic on this list has been pretty steady lately and shows no sign of abating. Leica's forum has just started out so give them time to work the bugs out. All lists suffer from trollers and the best thing is to ignore them. I assume that Leica will probably start moderating things now that Photokina is over.

I like the new website and found the old one more like flipping through loose pages. The content is increasing all the time and the larger number of picture galleries is great.

Finally, I like the new cameras better than the old cameras. The old Leica script on the top plate was pretty but I have not noticed any difference in the quality of my negs. I have a M2 with a rapidload kit, pc socket conversion and an accessory rewind crank but the built in meter of the M6TTL has put this camera firmly into the back up section of my bag. I too thought that the extra framelines might be annoying but now I just do not notice them. The old cameras and lenses are a great way of getting started in Leica rangefinder gear but the new stuff is much better in actual use and the quality of the lenses amazing. This is all just my opinion so if you think differently that is fine by me. Heck, you can trade your junky M6TTL straight across for my M2. Seriously!

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), September 28, 2000.

Gee wiz, this forum is the first one I check in the morning and the last one I see at night. I've read every single word on it more than once. It has helped me to pick cameras (M3, M6 Titan.), lenses and helped me to improve my technique and composition. I am always impressed by the knowledge of the forum users, and the ease of using this site. For God's sake, keep her up and running!!!! Thanks, SH

-- Steve Hoffman (musicmavin@earthlink.net), September 28, 2000.

Of all the forums in the greespun domain, this must be the easiest to moderate. I have had to delete exactly two messages (initial threads) since its inception!

Yep, the forum seems alive and well. Thanks go to all the participants.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), September 28, 2000.

I've certainly enjoyed this forum. It has quite a different tone from the regular photo.net ones. Peronally, I'm a little leery of posting tho'- I think it's high time I cut bait or go fish, and stop talking about the cameras and instead finally get one into my little hands...

-- Tse-Sung Wu (tsesung@yahoo.com), September 28, 2000.

Tse-Sung, please don't be leery of posting! Ya don't have to own a Leica to ask - or respond to - questions here.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), September 29, 2000.

I enjoy this forum a great deal. This is one of the best sites, if not the best, to learn and share the knowledge and passion about Leica cameras and lenses. I found all the posts are informative and helpful while participants are very civil to others. We seem to have very good and healthy traffic on the forum. Hope this will continue on.

-- Cing-Dao Kan (cdkan@yahoo.com), September 29, 2000.

Don't forget the Leica list server, it has the heaviest traffic of any Leica forum. There are so many emails to sort through, I eventially unsubscribed. However, there is tones of very useful information. Leica list is archived at http://www.listquest.com/ Its SEARCH facility is excellent, you can search for any topics. On big disadvantage of LUSENET vs photo.net is the lack of SEARCH function. There is also several Leica discussion groups in http://www.egroups.com/

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), September 30, 2000.

Tony wrote: "Of all the forums in the greespun domain, this must be the easiest to moderate. I have had to delete exactly two messages (initial threads) since its inception!"

I think that's a solid tribute to the moderator (that would be Tony, of course :-), not the participants. I gave up on one of the other forums because the moderator only wanted ego support for his thoughts, and had the most incredibly anal definition of "on topic". In fact the above quote from Tony would have been wiped faster than he could have signed his name.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 30, 2000.

Michael, you're too kind! It's just nice to have a forum full of grown-ups. It makes moderation a simple and quick task.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), September 30, 2000.

Thank you, firstly, to those who've responded to my posting about theft. my wife just saw your replies and assured me that I'm a dill for telling you what I now have. I think it's called 'trust', personally, but who am I to argue with 'er indoors, eh? This has been a serendipidous discovery for me, having subscribed to the Leica Newsletter and the "Leica Fotografie" in my time. Here is the unvarnished reality. Not, it seems to me, company speil, "Oooh, it's new!'gushing or Mine's bigger/better/flashier than yours. When I learn, for the first time, the antecedents for my new lenses, the weaknesses and positives side by side, then I know that I'm in the right milieu. Mind you, I don't rush to start my day by checking the site and I do live in Oz, two elements that make me a minority, I think. No, it surely ain't dead. Unless this is Leica Heaven! Peter Phillips

-- Peter Phillips (peterph@camtech.net.au), October 01, 2000.

I only discovered this forum recently but it seems pretty good - too good, in fact, to die - despite the saying that 'the good die young' ;-). I have learned a lot from it. I agree, too, that it's far better than the 'moderated forum' in photo.net where some of the people are unbelievably silly and rude in flaming honest questions asked in good faith. (I just realised that I've begun every sentence with 'I', including this one. Sorry!)

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), November 16, 2000.