Deep discussions
A classic is defined as:
Something that is judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind : a classic novel | a classic car.
Today, Leica made and announcement of 3 new cameras. You can find out about them in numerous places on the web. DP Review even has a review of the brand new M9 digital rangefinder. You can have one of your very own for $6,995 USD. I’ve only had this M6 for about 2 weeks. I’ve shot and developed 2 rolls of film and I like what I see. I don’t know that it has any magical properties, but I like the simplicity of it and am beginning to like the feel of it.
Leica cameras, all hand-made, are classics. The lenses for them are classics. It’s hard to dispute this, or if you don’t want to call them classics, you could call them top-notch performers. The build quality, fit and finish, is superb. It’s no wonder that nearly all of the M series have become classics. However, when Leica introduced the M8 they made a few technical errors that hurt them, mainly having to do with white balance and not having an infrared filter on the sensor! Doh! So much for classic status!
My friend Tom, of The Photo Father, told me that he had the opportunity to use an M8 and the experience was ‘horrible’, I believe, or perhaps terrible. Nonetheless, let us say that he would not add the M8 into the realm of classic. Now, with the release of the M9, I wonder. I know that Leica has to produce digital cameras to stay in business. Also, I think that it is good staying with what you know, rangefinders. They couldn’t compete with the likes of Nikon or Canon in the DSLR market. As for digital rangefinders, they are the only game in town, not only in town, but in the world! So, they can command a high price and get it. But, does that high price make it a classic. Will it stand the test of time? Will you be able to buy batteries for it 10 years from now, 20, 30?
Can a digital camera ever become a classic? Is the notion of ‘classic’ simply a romantic idea? I suppose that it is just that. We attach some emotion to a thing and give it great value because of what we feel about it. I have no answers, only questions. Perhaps you could provide some answers.
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