If you've ever dreamed of owning a Leica but quickly given up because you thought adding lenses to the bodies would send expenses into outer orbit, this will bring a big smile to your face.
Is there anything more infuriating than seeing celebrities with Leica cameras? In the world of professional surfing, a certain few well-known legends over the years have professed their interest in photography and then had short films made about their creative pursuits. In each of them, they are always holding a Leica in hand and declaring their love for these legendary machines. That's all well and good until you see that it is indeed true that the tools don't make the artist; their photography was horrible for the most part. But if you have the money, why not? Most of us don't, especially when you factor in the requisite glass.
But fear not, in this great video brought to you by The Camera Store TV, they run their eye over some very affordable lenses for Leica made by TTArtisan Lenses. For this review, the host uses a 21mm lens, a 35mm lens, and a 90mm lens (all for Leica M bodies) so you get to see a whole range of focal lengths and how well they work with the Leica M system. There's also a nice discussion with a Leica collector, who gives his opinion on these TTArtisan lenses. The prices range from $400-700, but what about image quality? I'll let you be the judge. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
For anyone who is interested, the UN just released their report about Xinjiang.
No, I won't be using my discretionary on Chinese lenses.
I mean, that’s old news for anyone with eyes to see over the last few years, I’m not sure how the UN report is all that relevant.
But trying to boycott Chinese goods while still purchasing almost any consumer product is like trying to boycott Amazon while still using the internet. An incredible number of products contain parts or materials that in some way came from the former, and an incredible number of websites and services rely on Amazon’s cloud computing services.
If one is serious about boycotting goods with links to a given country then it’s a tough road ahead. Say bye to your phone, computer, most digital cameras, many of your clothes, etc. Not necessarily a goal without without virtue, but nearly impossible to accomplish. Many circuit boards are formed using crucibles which themselves are made of special silicates which I believe often come from China, for example.
You have situations like the invasion of Ukraine, where a strong global boycott played out (somewhat) although for every McDonalds that closed you’re also dealing with things like grain and energy products that cannot be refused so easily.
And then there is the USA, which over the last 8 or more decades has conducted coups against legitimately elected democratic governments all over the place, invaded various countries, waged decades long wars, racked up hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties as collateral damage. Those are serious human rights abuses, do they not deserve the same treatment?
80 years ago Germany conducted a series of true horrors across much of Europe, Africa, etc. But yesterday’s enemies are now today’s partners in the European Union. Japan as well, murdering many Americans, and yet today they’re a trusted friend.
Most European powers subjected various parts of the world to abject horror via the slave trade and colonialism. But today most of them are extremely progressive by comparison to many other parts of the world.
What’s the statute of limitations on crimes against humanity?
In any case, my hope is to encourage whoever reads this to avoid thinking and acting in such simplistic terms. There are no heroes out there. Push for better, but know even as you do that those same countries that make up the upper echelon of the UN would never advocate for boycotting China themselves.
They’ve too much of their own money on the line.
1. Given you have been paying such strict attention, you would be well aware a common response to think tanks, such as ASPI, is an ad hominem, centred on the source of their funding; this presaging a dismissal.
China is an important member of the issuing body; therefore, such rebuttals cannot be credibly made.
2. If you want to go with a false dichotomy, and tu quoque, to hide your complete moral bankruptcy, that is between you and your conscience.
3. I understand full well how entrenched China is in our supply chains and manufactured products; that notwithstanding, I will not spend a cent of my money on glass that was manufactured in China.
Good day.
You definitely did your best to out big-word me, to the point my dumb brain can’t even comprehend how thoroughly I’ve been trounced, no doubt.
Boycott China, who cares. Possibly laudable goal. My point, which you ironically (given your response) ignored in favour of a straw man, (denying me even the veneer of charity) was that:
1. You can’t actually realistically accomplish it.
2. Any given English-speaker’s government has done at least as bad. Doesn’t excuse China, but does imply Americans and Europeans should temper their moral outrage lest they look goofy and out of touch.
3. It’s quite likely that one’s own government does and will continue to be quite fine with dealing with China, regardless of the atrocities.
Thesis: the world is complex, so don’t toss out mediocre simplistic solutions to complex situations. Especially in the comments on an article about cheapo Chinese lenses that only 6 people commented on. That’s not even slacktivism, that’s just whining to make oneself feel good for a second.
Maybe, I dunno, try and actually study the situation and find out if there’s a least-worst-but-most-effective road forward, and pursue that?
Or, do whatever it is you were trying to do.
I said good day.
I do note, that you weren't being sarcastic with your big word comment; because apparently you didn't understand them.
I paid you the courtesy of a polite response; that's all you'll get from me. I don't like you, and I'm not impressed by your feeble attempts to appear superior to a bunch of people, whose greatest attribute is they push a shutter button.
Do you own a phone?
The mere fact that you were able to make your comment in the first place, and are able to continue to respond, puts the lie to your convictions.
Any device that you could possibly be using to interact with me is made wholly, or in large part, in China. Be it phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
Using a Chinese-made device (albeit most likely running off Taiwanese semiconductors) to complain that you won’t buy Chinese made lenses on an American website reposting a Canadian video about lenses for a German camera brand owned by an Austrian family and an investment firm, because of the Chinese gov’ts crimes against humanity, is beyond hypocritical or silly. It’s just outright absurd.
Why did your boycott not start after Tianamen square? Why not after the CCP reneged on their agreements and clamped down on Hong Kong?
If you want to do something productive, how about emailing The Camera Store to bring your concerns to them directly and press them to drop the brand?
Meanwhile, I’ll wait for your reply and imagine the tippy tappy sound your thumbs are making on your Chinese-made touchscreen or keyboard.
(Post Script: this guy is accusing me of trying to strut for superiority in front of “a bunch of people, [who’s] greatest attribute is they push a shutter button” while being blind to the irony that his exact statement shows that he believes himself to be superior to the people he’s denigrating. Also you made a grammatical error and used “whose” where you should have used “who’s” Edward.)
I see you continue to demonstrate you are too stupid to comprehend my response.
But since you insist, my phone was made in Vietnam; the foundry is in Korea.
While I'm here, you'll note Samsung no longer has any Chinese manufacturing facilities - but given you're paying attention, you knew that. .
Run along now.
Now who’s tossing around ad hominems, hmm?
I’ll take you at your word that you aren’t lying, which weakens the wow factor of the phone argument some, but we both know that the phone still likely contains components from China, as does your home’s modem, wifi router, your TV, your car, etc. Your argument that Samsung, a company that’s committed astronomical levels of fraud, has pulled manufacturing from China because it’s “bad” is pretty cute.
Why do you choose to support a company that’s obviously morally bankrupt?
And again, where were you in 1989? One would think that, given your moral positioning, that you would have cut all Chinese-made goods from your life by now?
I notice you aren’t interested in addressing the fact that you dismissed the entire readership of this website as inferior to you, reducing them to “people, [who’s] greatest attribute is they push a shutter button.”
Look broski, I’m just having fun with you. I don’t have any emotional investment in my fstoppers account. The trick here is that you can’t resist continuing to reply, and regardless of how I come off to people I know that every time you respond you’ll either say something foolish, or fail to address the last foolish thing you said.
You’ve got a good vocabulary, bordering on m’lady level even, but a thesaurus isn’t a substitute for critical thinking skills.
Again, if you profess to have the strength of your convictions, at the very least email The Camera Store with your concerns. And B&H, Adorama, whoever else might be selling these.
But good grief, at least realize how futile it is.
Also, Vietnam has a bit of a human trafficking problem, are you sure you want to be purchasing products manufactured there?
Not to mention that companies tend to move their mfg to Vietnam because it’s cheaper:
They pay their Vietnamese workers even less than their former Chinese workers.
Also I just read through your comment history, jezuz mang, you’re a piece of work. Talk about having a superiority complex. At least I’ll cop to being a jerk, you’re out there calling other people’s photography “insipid crap.”
The horse sh t from the high horse stinks just as bad as any other, I see.
Did I hurt your feelings? Three responses, which I've barely glanced at.
Good. You're an arse to everyone; and you wanted to start with me.
You'll note I'm a jerk to people who deserve it. There are a number of members who seem to think that being an absolute prick to everyone is acceptable behaviour; you're notable.
Poor baby.
Lol, you’re trying to be mean to someone who is obviously trolling you for fun, that’s like trying to win a staring contest with a rock my boi. Gimme your worse.
Yes it’s clear you aren’t reading my replies, I left all kind of bait in there which I know an egoist like yourself wouldn’t be able to resist.
Its interesting that you’ve crowned yourself the arbiter of who “deserves it.” Goes nicely with your superiority complex. Even matches your shoes! (The ones covered in your high horse sh t).
From your comment history it appears that you’re of the more militant stripe of lefty. The ones who lack any sense of nuance and give the rest of us a bad name. I’m sure you’re quite comfortable wrapped in your blankie of moral superiority.
I guess it must be nice to have such a black and white world view, much simpler. Less contradictions to deal with. Less uncomfortable cognitive dissonance.
I’m going to be here until you get tired or one of us gets banned.
You even changed your handle to Edward Blake.
lol
Yes, I’ve been apologizing to all the people you’ve wronged
The funny thing is you're a smart guy. Life really didn't turn out how you thought it would, did it...
Now you're just a sad old man, hiding behind a keyboard, attacking random people on the internet.
Edit: three days later, no response.
I guess you really didn't want to keep going until one of us gets tired or banned.
Well-adjusted people don't act like you.
I’ve been known to joke about Leica Lawyers just as much as the next guy, but buying bargain bin lenses to stick on a Leica just seems to be so far beyond the point…
I would think that you run the danger of being tossed from the club sporting a lens like that on your M3 or M6 or RX7....
Imagine actually caring about such a notion....
Imagine spending $10,000 on a camera but only putting $200 out for the thing that does most of the heavy lifting. Mind you neither makes much sense to me.
By the way, here’s your downvote back, lol. “Imagine caring about such a notion” he says, as he finds himself caring enough to both reply and also thumbs down internet strangers with opinions that conflict with his 😂
One might assume you care quite a lot, Daniel.
Downvote the hell out of it. It's all the same to me.
I like Leica M cameras and although I can’t afford one now, I had an M3 many years ago. I liked using the M3 but the standout part of the system is not the bodies, it’s the lenses. There is no point putting other manufacturers lenses on a Leica body.
If anything, it should be done the other way around. I have known several Leica M fans who love the lenses but want different things from their cameras. Sony A7 and Sigma FP bodies seem like popular substitutes.
Still, each to their own.