Very well said, Bob. I like your attitude. :-) Dave ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert O. SHAW" <rj5s@xxxxxxx> To: <leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <leica@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 8:04 PM Subject: [LRflex] Fair Treatment By All, About All > (this is my first Rant on this forum. Along with you all, I hope it is my > only one, ever) > > I have met folks who think I'm a demented, obsessive snob for 1) buying > Leica and 2) Paying Leica prices. > > I have met folks who are innocent and clueless but they "rather fancy' my > Leica stuff when they fondle it and look through the (omigawd!) > viewfinder. > > Those who have (only for a moment, mind you) borrowed my Leica 8x32 > binoculars have been stunned at the image clarity and high twilight > factor. > They almost passed out when I told them, on being asked politely, what > they > cost. > > After 5 years with the 8x32s and a year with my R8.9 kit, it just doesn't > bother me, any more. > > I like my Leica stuff, my photographs have gotten a teeny bit better and > I'm > more aware of gradation (I obsess about the faithful reproduction ANY > clouds > in the background). I'd say that's an OK hobby/obsession/whatever > > Everyone has their little obsession, their little (almost) dark side thing > they need to offset the insanity of their corporate, municipal or or other > regimented routine they have to repeat every day. > > Some members may be independently wealthy and have every R APO and Telyt > Lens ever built. I think that's fine. Like many of us, it their damned > money, after all. Others are struggling to put together enough to buy a > 10 > year old R and a serviceable lens. And they do and join our funny little > band. > > It really doesn't matter, I think. Those of us on this forum who have > laid > out the euros, dollars, pesos, drachma - whatever - and use Leica R, > derive > enjoyment from it. That's why I enjoy this forum. > > Those of us who have paid the price know it, know what we had to go > through > to raise the cash (or plastic) to actually buy and then use Leica. Those > are the folks I most enjoy and (no suprise here) learn the most from. > > In my case my insurance paid me enough (after years of very high premiums > I > might add) to buy the biggest, baddest Canon or Nikon R and lenses - > digital > or film. And belive me I played with them all. > > But what happend was I was already used to Contax R and Zeiss T* glass, > and > when I picked up the funny looking R9 (wow; that's one heavy body...) and > looked through the finder (wow; that is one bright finder...) it was all > over. Done deal. Nolo Contedre. > > Sure, I wish Leica wasn't so damned expensive but we could say that about > Mercedes, Ferrari, Bentley and First Class on BA. So what? Like > everything > else in life; It Is What It Is and it ain't for everybody. > > So if those who do not own or use Leica would try to remember that some of > us (at least in my case) took the plunge and never looked back and don't > need to, and refrain from criticism from a basis of heresay or some past > negative experience, that would be Just Grand. > > I shall now step down from my high horsie and go outside and work in the > yard. Can't really afford a gardener, you see. Also, I enjoy gardening > with my wife with whom I spend (willingly) way too much money on specimen > plants, trees, equipment, monster rocks (yes, lovey, rocks) etc. etc. My > neighbors have all nearly passed out when they found out how much we spend > on our landscaping. > > See? There "they" go, again... > > Besides, it coud be crack or booze or......? > > Cheers > > Bob in Seattle > > _________________________________________________________________ > Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! > http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ > > ------ > Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at: > http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/lrflex.htm > Archives are at: > //www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/ > ------ Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/lrflex.htm Archives are at: //www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/