Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/06/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It will be critical for the ZI to sell well for it to have at least M6 type quality. If it does, I believe that huge viewfinder, which reportedly gives terrific eye relief, and allows even eyeglass wearers to easily see the 35mm and 28mm framelines, will guarantee that, at least in the short run, it will be a good seller. We'll see. Assumes also no glitches in the electronics. What I find interesting is that there obviously has been some type of market study by someone somewhere which concluded another film rangefinder will sell. Which tells me that the rangefinder market is large enough to be catered by the big companies by both new products and new technologies Very promising for rangefinder enthusiasts. ----- Original Message ----- From: Don Dory Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 7:07 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: [Leica] Thoughts on the ZI rangefinder I am not so sure that the Zeiss offering will do all that well. The Konica RF was and is a pretty good rangefinder with a much better than average rangefinder and good ergonomics. Build quality was also nothing to complain about. Yet this camera did not succeed in the marketplace. The Zeiss offering is going to be a dressed up Bessa, I am not sure you can dress up a Bessa enough to get 2.5 to 3 times the price. If the rangefinder works well with parallax correction in the close range that the lenses allow for then that might compensate for a percieved lack of build quality. I guess my gut feeling is that for the most part, Leicas are luxury goods. In this market niche you don't win by saying I'm almost as good and I cost less. Price becomes much less an issue than quality, choice, and being best in class. B.D. is correct when he comments that for most users, you don't need the quality of the Leica product to create a pleasing image. Who really needs a camera that has a design life in excess of fifty years? But that is the illogic of the luxury market: how many conversations have we had on the LUG about watches, pens, cars, Scotch, and other luxury goods? We all remember the number or responses, and we are a fairly typical slice of Leica life. Personnally, I hope the Zeiss offering is a success as that will drive a good rangefinder digital body sooner rather than later. 0.02 Don don.dory@gmail.com _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information