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08-13-2013, 08:35 PM   #1
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A Lesson Learned About the Intensity of Camera Enthusiasts

New York Times article on cameras - Leica specifically.....
QuoteQuote:
But as I learned this week, compared to the photography community, technology fans seem tamer than a sloth.

In a Tool Kit article published on Thursday, I wrote about Leica’s digital cameras, where I noted that hard-core Leica owners “swear by its craftsmanship, lens quality and lack of bells and whistles.”

Within hours of the piece being published online, my in-box filled with vehement messages from all kinds of photographers and camera fans. They took to Twitter and Facebook, too.



08-13-2013, 08:41 PM   #2
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Leica fans....'nough said.
08-13-2013, 09:19 PM   #3
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"One polite reader, Jack B. Siegel, pointed me to a Leica forum where the article I wrote was on the equivalent of a digital dartboard. When I asked Mr. Siegel, an attorney and photographer, if this was normal, he said that camera owners can be ruthless, even more so than the techies.


“I am endlessly astonished about the rigid and hostile views and arguments over nothing,” he said to me in an e-mail about the photography forums he visits. Mr. Siegel, who is currently writing a book on photography law, noted that photo Web sites have to go to great lengths to stave off angry comments and have a positive discussion."
08-14-2013, 12:42 AM - 1 Like   #4
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I've participated in many communities where this sort of tribal behavior is present.

PS3 vs XBOX 360 was a fun one. I don't own a gaming system anymore, but I did catch wind of the release of the next generation of consoles, the PS4 and the Xbox One. I've already caught glimpses of trash talk between the loyalists from the two camps on my Facebook feed, and neither system has even been released yet.

Apple vs Android as another one, and it's one that I was more heavily involved in. I hate Apple products, so I was always recommending Android alternatives to people. This of course meant that I had to defend myself from the Apple drones who were quick to try and shoot me down.

I am a Vancouver Canucks fan, and if you follow NHL hockey, you know that my team has a bad rep. The trash talking on sports forums is the worst because the average sports fan is . . . well let's just say that they're more brawn than brain. When we lost the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011 I could not read anything on the internet about the loss for months because of all the haters that took the opportunity to dogpile onto the Canucks.

Now I'm into cameras, and it's no different. Canon and Nikon are like the Illuminati and Templars, centuries old foes that will fight each other until the end of time. Pentaxians are generally well behaved, but they do get defensive once in a while. (Also see the PZone review of the DA 18--135 WR).

But the writer of the NYT article linked in the first post on this thread hit the nail on the head when talking about Leica. I can't remember why, but a while back I found myself browsing the L forums. It's another level of fanboyism.

I've heard/read that the audiophile community is the most vicious tribal subculture of all.

08-14-2013, 01:00 AM   #5
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Even musicians have their eternal arguments Marigaux oboes Vs Howarth,Fossati and Rigoutat. Nagahara flutes Vs Muramatsu, Steinway Pianos Vs Bechstein, Fazioli, Bosendorfer.
08-14-2013, 01:16 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by EarlVonTapia Quote
Apple vs Android as another one, and it's one that I was more heavily involved in. I hate Apple products, so I was always recommending Android alternatives to people. This of course meant that I had to defend myself from the Apple drones who were quick to try and shoot me down.
I know something of how you feel. I used to hate Windows, too, though not because of any misplaced tribalism, but as a result of the constant system crashing that occurred with some versions (I hear that still goes on with every second version). I find it a bit odd that you say you've moved on from games market tribalism, but not so with the mobile OS equivalent. Or have I read you wrongly?

It is possible to prefer some things because they fit your way of working best, without developing the sort of attachment disorder that earns the prejudicial (tribal, possibly, but certainly childish) tags of "fanboy" or "drone". This sort of schoolyard nonsense is heightened by the paid agents of one side or another, who develop and promulgate narratives designed to tap into the uncritical beliefs of needy personalities. All they need is a tiny core of truth at the centre of a narrative, and away they go, spawning trolls and haters along the way. Don't fall for it. It's just dirty politicking that's been privatised.

Last edited by RobA_Oz; 08-14-2013 at 01:08 PM.
08-14-2013, 04:26 AM   #7
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As I said previously - Leica fans.

08-14-2013, 04:49 AM - 1 Like   #8
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This guy quoted Ken Rockwell and presented him as "a photographer and expert on cameras and lenses"

He had it coming
08-14-2013, 05:49 AM   #9
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I'm glad PF is a glowing exception to that article. This has always been a pleasant, informative, and entertaining place to visit!
08-14-2013, 06:26 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by jcdoss Quote
I'm glad PF is a glowing exception to that article. This has always been a pleasant, informative, and entertaining place to visit!
We have our moments. Just yesterday the letters "K-01" incited code words such as "crap." Spring 2912 was not our best season.
08-14-2013, 11:01 AM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
We have our moments. Just yesterday the letters "K-01" incited code words such as "crap." Spring 2912 was not our best season.
Well, it was that breakdown in the teleportation system and the embargo of Alpha Centauri that had everyone on edge, it wasn't just PF.
08-14-2013, 12:31 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by RobA_Oz Quote
I find it a bit odd that you say you've moved on from games market tribalism, but not so with the mobile OS equivalent. Or have I read you wrongly?
Nope, you got it right. I sold off my PS3, big TV, and video games (including my full Rock Band set ) earlier this year because I just decided that I don't want to spend anymore time or money on video games. But I still use an Android device as my phone/everything machine, so I try and keep up with any news on that stuff.
08-14-2013, 12:57 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by EarlVonTapia Quote
I am a Vancouver Canucks fan, and if you follow NHL hockey, you know that my team has a bad rep. The trash talking on sports forums is the worst because the average sports fan is . . . well let's just say that they're more brawn than brain. When we lost the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011 I could not read anything on the internet about the loss for months because of all the haters that took the opportunity to dogpile onto the Canucks.
Better to have a reputation than none at all. (Imagine being a Leafs fan )

Phil.
08-14-2013, 03:00 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by EarlVonTapia Quote
...I sold off my PS3, big TV, and video games (including my full Rock Band set ) earlier this year because I just decided that I don't want to spend anymore time or money on video games. But I still use an Android device as my phone/everything machine, so I try and keep up with any news on that stuff.
Congratulations! As a kid my father never let me have a video games console. Now I am glad cause I learned to play guitar instead
08-14-2013, 05:13 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by EarlVonTapia Quote
...L forums. It's another level of fanboyism.
I believe it is due to golden testicles.

QuoteOriginally posted by Digitalis Quote
Steinway Pianos.
That one I recognize.

QuoteOriginally posted by Pablom Quote
This guy quoted Ken Rockwell and presented him as "a photographer and expert on cameras and lenses"
He is - in his own mind.
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