Snobbery.
24,241 posts
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Posted 05/08/2010 - 23:00
So far, we appear to be speechless in response to that....
Best regards, John
Best regards, John
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Posted 05/08/2010 - 23:12
I'm not so sure - call for an SDM recall in a crowded Pentax forum and you'll see some zealots soon enough 
Last Edited by MrCynical on 05/08/2010 - 23:15
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Posted 06/08/2010 - 01:03
The more money you pay for a camera (or car, or golf clubs, or anything really) the more you feel the need to justify your purchase as loudly and as publicly as possible - so it seems to me anyway.
Both Nikon and Leica enjoy a reputation for high quality cameras and lenses, so it seems reasonable to suppose that there are a large number of folk out there who buy those brands simply because they think it will make them a better photographer.
Of course we know it doesn't work like that, but I can see why those people need to keep cheering on the team. After all, if word got out that owning a Leica didn't automatically make you the new HCB the bottom would fall out of the used market and they'd be even further out of pocket...
Joining the Q
Both Nikon and Leica enjoy a reputation for high quality cameras and lenses, so it seems reasonable to suppose that there are a large number of folk out there who buy those brands simply because they think it will make them a better photographer.
Of course we know it doesn't work like that, but I can see why those people need to keep cheering on the team. After all, if word got out that owning a Leica didn't automatically make you the new HCB the bottom would fall out of the used market and they'd be even further out of pocket...
Joining the Q
Link
Posted 06/08/2010 - 17:19
Talking of Soviet Leica copies (are they copies? They were probably made from captured German tooling...) does anyone know of a site covering them?
I'd quite like to get hold of a 1930s-ish 35mm rangefinder, and while the genuine Leicas and so on are horribly expensive now there seem to be good numbers of Russian '50s-made from pre-war tooling copies around. I'm just not sure what's a copy of what, which are the best, what to look out for, etc. At the moment a FED-2 is quite tempting, or am I just being daft and should I put the money aside to await a good K 50mm f1.4 for my KX?
Pentax do seem to be oddly classless. I say oddly as they have never made cheap mass-market SLRs, even their models aimed at beginners have been well screwed together (look at the MV1) with price tags to match and the DA Ltd range has prices to make professionals wince. But we just don't seem to brag about them. Could it be that thanks to the quality of older Pentax lenses there's every chance of the photos taken with your £550 prime being embarrassed by ones taken with a thirty year old lens bought for £8.50?
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
I'd quite like to get hold of a 1930s-ish 35mm rangefinder, and while the genuine Leicas and so on are horribly expensive now there seem to be good numbers of Russian '50s-made from pre-war tooling copies around. I'm just not sure what's a copy of what, which are the best, what to look out for, etc. At the moment a FED-2 is quite tempting, or am I just being daft and should I put the money aside to await a good K 50mm f1.4 for my KX?
Pentax do seem to be oddly classless. I say oddly as they have never made cheap mass-market SLRs, even their models aimed at beginners have been well screwed together (look at the MV1) with price tags to match and the DA Ltd range has prices to make professionals wince. But we just don't seem to brag about them. Could it be that thanks to the quality of older Pentax lenses there's every chance of the photos taken with your £550 prime being embarrassed by ones taken with a thirty year old lens bought for £8.50?
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Last Edited by Dangermouse on 06/08/2010 - 17:38
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Posted 06/08/2010 - 20:07
Perhaps one of the moderators could change the title of this thread, to 'Inverted snobbery'.... And correct my typos too, while they're at it. 
No man is worth his salt, who has not been banned from at least one Forum, and two Flickr groups.
Mowog.
No man is worth his salt, who has not been banned from at least one Forum, and two Flickr groups.
Mowog.
Link
Posted 06/08/2010 - 22:44
LOL, I like the thread mowog.
I know Greys having been there myself. And the Leica centre near the British museum.
However the biggest snobs, or should I say put-downers, are Canon users!
You could have a nice decent conversation about photography and a Canonite would spout up, saying anything else is rubbish, and not in a funny way.
I think they have to shout to cover for their own shortfalls.
If you put a Nikon user, a Pentax user and a canon user in a room, the Nikon and Pentax user would get on well....
Leica is a different matter. It is well made, has very nice optics, but it still only a camera, but that badge!!!
Still, if you were offered a Leica M9 and 50mm 0.95 Noctilux for free, would you turn it down? No, me neither. but I think a K-7 and 31mm Limited would probably do the job just as well (oh yes, that is another thing about canonites, dissing short primes......)
Finally, in the past I was the only pentaxian around and people laughed! Then more Pentax's appeared on the streets, and fellow togs started looking and commenting that in the past they had a Pentax but changed. Then looked at results and thought "hmmmm Pentax is pretty good after all" Well at least Nikonians did.....
Some Cameras
I know Greys having been there myself. And the Leica centre near the British museum.
However the biggest snobs, or should I say put-downers, are Canon users!
You could have a nice decent conversation about photography and a Canonite would spout up, saying anything else is rubbish, and not in a funny way.
I think they have to shout to cover for their own shortfalls.
If you put a Nikon user, a Pentax user and a canon user in a room, the Nikon and Pentax user would get on well....
Leica is a different matter. It is well made, has very nice optics, but it still only a camera, but that badge!!!
Still, if you were offered a Leica M9 and 50mm 0.95 Noctilux for free, would you turn it down? No, me neither. but I think a K-7 and 31mm Limited would probably do the job just as well (oh yes, that is another thing about canonites, dissing short primes......)
Finally, in the past I was the only pentaxian around and people laughed! Then more Pentax's appeared on the streets, and fellow togs started looking and commenting that in the past they had a Pentax but changed. Then looked at results and thought "hmmmm Pentax is pretty good after all" Well at least Nikonians did.....
Some Cameras
Link
Posted 06/08/2010 - 23:05
Dangermouse wrote:
Leica is a different matter. It is well made, has very nice optics, but it still only a camera, but that badge!!!
Leica is a different matter. It is well made, has very nice optics, but it still only a camera, but that badge!!!
Well since it costs £250 the badge HAS to offer some serious snob value! (Panasonic LX3 with a Panasonic badge: £300, Panasonic LX3 with a Leica badge: £550)
Link
Posted 06/08/2010 - 23:36
Eh? I didn't say that, it was Offertonhatter!
I think Leica are another firm trading on their history, rather than what they're doing now. I cannot believe that anything they make could beat a K7 and a set of DA Ltds.
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
I think Leica are another firm trading on their history, rather than what they're doing now. I cannot believe that anything they make could beat a K7 and a set of DA Ltds.
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Link
Posted 07/08/2010 - 03:50
Dangermouse wrote:
Eh? I didn't say that, it was Offertonhatter!
I think Leica are another firm trading on their history, rather than what they're doing now. I cannot believe that anything they make could beat a K7 and a set of DA Ltds.
Eh? I didn't say that, it was Offertonhatter!
I think Leica are another firm trading on their history, rather than what they're doing now. I cannot believe that anything they make could beat a K7 and a set of DA Ltds.
Aargh, I hate this forum's mangled handling of quotes. Try to quote more than one post and a mindless contortion of skulduggery results
Link
Posted 07/08/2010 - 10:40
MrCynical wrote:
Well since it costs £250 the badge HAS to offer some serious snob value! (Panasonic LX3 with a Panasonic badge: £300, Panasonic LX3 with a Leica badge: £550)
Dangermouse wrote:
Leica is a different matter. It is well made, has very nice optics, but it still only a camera, but that badge!!!
Leica is a different matter. It is well made, has very nice optics, but it still only a camera, but that badge!!!
Well since it costs £250 the badge HAS to offer some serious snob value! (Panasonic LX3 with a Panasonic badge: £300, Panasonic LX3 with a Leica badge: £550)
Tell me, Panasonic LX3 and Leica DLux4. Same camera with ever so slightly different processing (not that you would notice)
Leica looks better, but £200-£250 better? not a chance!
Panasonic have now resolved that with the LX-5 which is better still.
Watch Leica failing to sell any more D-Lux4 models as a result.......
Some Cameras
Link
Posted 09/08/2010 - 18:18
It could be argued that the least snobbish brand is Sony. I've never seen a Sony owner bragging!
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My Photobucket
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Posted 09/08/2010 - 18:35
They do if you put them near Pentax owners. Then it becomes "Poor Canon/Nikonites, they don't get in-body shake reduction"...
They also seem to have some odd ideas about lenses. Apparently the Samyang ones which I've seen some impressive shots from here are considered the lowest of the low on their forums.
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
They also seem to have some odd ideas about lenses. Apparently the Samyang ones which I've seen some impressive shots from here are considered the lowest of the low on their forums.
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
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mowog
Member
London.
There is a very well known Nikon dealer, whoes Amateur Photographer adverts look like a Sotheby's Fine Art auction catalogue. All regency text and pictures of wood panelled rooms, like it was a Victorian Gentleman's club, or something. "Grays of Westninster". Westminster my Arse! - It's in Pimlico! But Grays of Pimlico doesn't fit the image does it! I went there once, just for a look, as I was in the area. It's actually a very small shop in a shabby little side street. The proprietor looked down his nose at me and hovered around at my shoulder, on gaurd, as if I was about to rob the bleedin' place. I was obviously not the usual sort of punter he was used to seeing.
By far the worst though, are Leica owners. I'm sure many of them would have you pass an exam and be interviewed by a panel of elders, before being allowed to own a Leica. These are the people who flag ebay auctions for Leica copies and Zorkis, if the listing contains the word Leica.
No such nonesence with us Pentax people, is there!
All power to Pentax. - The People's camera.
No man is worth his salt, who has not been banned from at least one Forum, and two Flickr groups.
Mowog.