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User comments btil June 2003

Go Sonny Go! I'm the guy that had the wisdom to swap an F5 for an Leica. A working pro friend of mine shoots Contax and thinks I did the best thing.....He has recently picked up a Leica himself
 
Benjamin Speculated: I think the reason Leica is expensive is a marketing positioning issue. Personnelly, will go for Contax, a comparable quility with a completly different price!

I have a Contax N1 with a couple of lenses (70-300 and 24-85) and a Contax G2 (28 and 45mm). I got a new M6TTL. The sharpness of the Leica over either of the Contax cameras was noticible.
Colorado Jeff
 
Benjamin Wang wrote "I think the reason Leica is expensive is a marketing positioning issue. Personnelly, will go for Contax, a comparable quility with a completly different price!"

Yes Benjamin you are probably correct to some degree, but the situation is way more complex than you appreciate.

Enjoy your Contax. It's not the type of camera you use but the quality of the images you make. I don't give two hoots as to the camera anybody uses. I've seen some pretty sad work come out of a Leica and some great images made with a Spotmatic. It's the pictures that count! That's why we buy them, to make pictures. Unless of course you want an overpriced oranment. But that's another issue.

BTW I hope your Contax was made in Jena before the second world war. Now they were great cameras and lenses. In a totally different league to the stuff with Contax engraved on the front these days.

cheers craig
 
>>>>>>>Posted by Benjamin Wang on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 4:10 am: > > I think the reason Leica is expensive is a marketing positioning > issue. Personnelly, will go for Contax, a comparable quility with a > completly different price!

Ben, there's more than how much profit a company wants to make, what you call a "marketing issue". Every company wants to show a nice profit, including Zeiss, Toyota, et al. Consider. 1) Quality. Not just "good enough", but nice choice of materials for the job, not just to cheapen it out. Some call this overengineered or overbuilt. 2) Labor. High in Germany 3) It costs more to build a mechanical camera (I'm talking about construction, not function only, hence I include the M7), than a camera operated by cheaper to make electronic modules. Look at the current prices of a Nikon F3A vs the latest electronic cameras. Or compare an Olympus OM-4T with an OM-3. How about the high cost of the Leica R6.2 OR the Contax S2? By the way, you could point the finger at Contax's "market positioning issue with the S-2!

It's your choice if you like the Contax G. The exterior appearance and lens quality are nice. But they are 2 different philosphies in design. A variety of opinions makes this forum interesting, but why assume that Zeiss's advantage is their "market positioning" alone? I use an M6 not because I begrudge Leica making a profit, nor do I wish I had the $$$$ in my bank instead of taking pictures with it. I use the Leica M because I like it and, in my type of photography, find I get many more usable shots. By the way, my wife has, and I use a Contax SLR, and I appreciate what it does, too. Best wishes, Ben, and I'm glad you are enjoying your Contax G.
 
Thank you, Graig and Tom. I love to have a nice discussion with you on this board, I am sure it will be very inspiring to me, yet it seem that people are very passionatlly involved in this disscussion board and my ignorance comment may offence other.
To the rest, especially Mr. Carter, my apology for droping down ignorance comment, it will not happen again.
 
To the rest, especially Mr. Carter, my apology for droping down > ignorance comment, it will not happen again.

Thank you Mr. Wang for your kind apology.

Sonny Carter
 
Welcome Benjamin

Atleast we all know who you are now, nothing wrong with a dramatic entrance. Thank you for have the character and guts to stay with us and for your appology.

A Leica centric web site that I beleive anyone interested in photography should visit is run by Dr Ewin Puts. Well worth a good look. Just do a Google search "Erwin Puts" and you will soon find it. Click on the graphics and it will take you to other areas of the site. All the technical info you will need for a while and good material on the history of, and design phylosophy of Leica.

Best wishes Craig

Leica equipment isn't perfect but you have to see the results that come out of fine optics like the current F2 90mm M series lens to beleive them.
 
Hi,

I am a month late in this conversation,
but I would like to say that I use both Leica and Contax,
and they both make great cameras and lenses!
I can's part with either!

Cheers
 
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