Does owning a camera,such as a Hassleblad or Leica, make one a better photographer ?

No. If I had Poersche money, it would be spent on something like a big six American LaFrance speedster with the surplus going for gasoline.

 

i know people and this is the case.
it cured their baldness, their impotence too.

 

True, but there are enough girls who won't care.

 

But the Porsche owner only needs one.

 

No.But if you use your Leica lens on a Minolta CLE or a Hexar RF you can get the shot while the Leica bloke is still trying to load the film.

 

One what?

 

One girl. I thought that the train of though was clear enough. Next time I will specify.

 

Ok.
Is there something I can buy that will cure senility?

 

I don't really care what Picasso took photographs with, it is what he put on paper and canvas with a, probably not very cheap "tool"(after he could afford them) that "yank my chain". The answer, to me, of this post is "no". As to ownership of the named equipment for it's "snob" appeal, that idea only comes from people who don't own Leicas, Hasselblad, most modern day wooden LF equipment, and other equally expensive equipment. Also on the subject of "snob appeal", why doesn't anyone ever mention Linhof?.......Regards!

 

+1 (not for me, of course, of course, of course!)

 

Are

Are you talking about a "fire truck"? .....Regards!

 

Linhof. In a couple months for 30 years.
I don't think Linhof is as widely recognised as Hasselblad and Leica; you hardly ever see one on a neck strap.

 

Can a quality camera and lens like those you mention make you a better photographer?

I don't know. All I can say is that a lot of great photographers use quality gear and they can't all be wrong!

What I can say is that quality equipment can help you be the best you can be. Of course you will have to invest a lot more than your money to make it happen.

 

No. Amercan LaFrance once builta small number of speedsters, a monstrous roadster to show off their then (1914-ish) new 900 cubic inch 130hp @ 1200 rpm T-head six. The originals are rare and expensive, but quite a few were made privately from a fire truck, it used to be a pretty popular project.They come up for sale from time to time.

 

When you discover it, I will buy two.

 

So if you forget where you put one, you might find the other?

 

Nah. I have several sports/exotic cars, including Porsche. I'm still getting bald.

As for women, they don't care about cars. In over 30 years, I've had maybe two women notice sporty or exotic cars.

You have to like the car for what it is, not for some perceived side-benefit. Same with cameras!

 

That would be a sight. I held a Super Technika V once... makes an RB67 feel like a Minox.

 

Something like that.

 

I was not talking about "snob" or else. Just about picture. The picture of Picasso with FED is as accurate about what he was using as picture of HCB with Zorki.
http://www.pdexposures.com/more-reason-for-tony-to-love-hcb/

 

LINHOF! They even had a CREST!! (something Ls & Hs don't have). Really lab-grade equipment.

 

They still have the crest, a Master Technika 4x5 body is just under $10,000 at B&H.
Linhof is now the oldest extant camera manufacturer, bless their Bavarian hearts.
And Theo, mine came with a leather neckstrap. I've used it handheld to photograph bobsleds at Mt. van Hoevenberg.u

 

i know what you mean dan ..
have you ever seen the early work of andré kertész ?
i have this book of tiny contact prints made from some ww1 era folding camera ( i think?)
and they are stellar. i don't think the camera was on the same level as a hassle or leica ...


fetishes and magic bullets are nothing new

 

For no particular reason I'm reminded of the old saying that "when a man opens his car door for a girl, you can be certain that it's either a new car or a new girl....."

 

New year's eve and new year's day were spent wandering my local paths with dog, wife and Canon A-1. As camera's go the A-1 and 50mm 1.4 must be as vanilla, nay quotidian as film cameras get. I even set it to program, something I can't ever recall doing before.

The Fomapan 100 was developed last night in Rodinal and scanned this morning. The weather was wet and murky, with outbreaks of a weak and watery sun between the cloud. For all the camera's lack of pretension, the shots were beautiful in a classic black and white way if I say so myself, though to be picky it was probably in the developer 30 seconds too long for perfection. I maintain that the film, developer and quality of light are infinitely more important to the feel of a photo than the make of the box it was shot on.