Re: [Leica] American cameras

["JeffS" <segawa@netone.com>]

What does "Made in USA" mean, anyway? These days, that the EPA and OSHA had
a say in how things were done! That's a good thing, I think. One of my first
summer jobs was working at an electronic equipment factory, and the
assemblers, mostly middle-aged women, were originally from just about
everywhere but the US of A. Some barely spoke English. They did good work.
What does "Made In Germany" mean these days? Dunno-maybe that the Turkish
guest worker worked under Green Party-approved conditions :-)

But if quality American finished goods seem a trifle rarer than the should,
maybe it's because skilled crafts and arts are seen as somehow less
prestigious than being a highly paid executive (who produces no tangible
goods whatsoever), and because there are too few entry level jobs which
would teach valuble skills, and too many whose on-the-job training seem to
consist of learning to ask "Would you like fries with that, sir?". I did try
to get a manufacturing job awhile back, hoping to learn how to produce
precision optics-no luck; they wanted me for the electronics side of the
business-nothing new for me there, so declined the job offer.

Jeff Segawa
See my photography online at
http://www.netone.com/~segawa

- -----Original Message-----
From: Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>
>The answer is simply economic.  Mass consumption of 35mm equipment
>is a post-WWII phenomenon.  After the war, German equipment was
>MUCH cheaper than we could produce (Ektra) with our incredibly
>high standard of living.  Japanese equipment was 60% of the German
>price.   We could have EASILY produced the Nikons here, for sale
>at (circa 1954) $1500!!  Or the M-3 at $2000 (1954). We already
>had many of the finer minds from northern Europe living and working
>in the photo-optical industry here!! (I worked for one of these
>immigrants.)  Our workers would not work for the wages that would
>allow this equipment to be produced at a price economical for
>mass consumption.

>If you doubt the ability of Americans to compete, quality wise,
>in ANY market, look at the demand for Collins and Ten-Tec radio
>gear or McIntosh, Marantz, Conrad Johnson, Audio Research, etc
>audio equipment in Japan and Europe