Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/23

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] A personnal opinion about leica choice
From: "Simon Lamb" <simon@sclamb.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 11:28:25 +0100
References: <200008230701.AAA10784@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> <002e01c00ce6$4c891ec0$600e6882@sc.ucl.ac.be>

Grégoire

I guess Leica is like any other company in that it has to provide products
to the market that satisfy a demand and generate revenue and profits.  APS
is a relatively popular format for point and shoot enthusiasts, and I am
sure a competitvely prices Leica APS camera would sell very well.  If they
used the lens off the C1 I am sure the image quality would be the best that
APS could provide, and in excess of most other cameras on the market.

I am also certain that Leica suffers from the same problems that any quality
manufacturer suffers from, that being the lack of replacement orders.  I am
confident that my current M6 will still be working when my children's
children's children are born and old enough to use it.  I do not therefore
need to consider buying a replacement and therefore Lecia suffer a small
loss of potential future revenue.  Building obsolesence into products is an
excellent way to guarantee future revenue, but Leica build products that
last and last.  I would only buy another M6 if I wanted a second body, but
then I would probably by a used one.

For companies like Leica to survive they need to provide products to meet
market demands and to show that they can and will keep pace with trends and
technologies when it is appropriate to do so.  APS is here, it will probably
not go away, and Leica have presumably seen that a camera with the red dot
in this space could be a good source of revenue.

 I would be interested to see the figures for the sales of the C1.  It is an
excellent P&S and has that Leica feel to it, but I wonder how it is faring.
If it is not doing well it would be a shame, but perhaps due in some part to
the fact that most of the public do not know the Leica name or reputation
and only consider the more mainstream Minoltas etc.

Simon

Grégoire Vandenschrick wrote:

> I read recently in the french mag Réponses photo that Leica will come back
> with a new version of the Tri-Elmar, not the optic but the outer part are
> different, that's a good point, but the second information is quite
> disapointing:
>
> A new compact camera will appear, the Leica C11. This could be a good info
> if this camera wasn't an APS. I really wonder why Leica has to invest the
> not so well working APS market now?? This is quite a strange fact and this
> is not in accord with their politics of excellence in photography...
>
> Sorry if I hurt someone, but I had to react to this
>
> Greg Vandenschrick
>
>

In reply to: Message from Grégoire Vandenschrick <vandenschrick@geog.ucl.ac.be> ([Leica] A personnal opinion about leica choice)