Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 21 mm viewfinder - crazy !
From: Alan Ball <AlanBall@csi.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 16:04:02 +0200

Do not want to fuel masoleicist threads but I got to share my very mixed
feelings regarding a Leica M accessory I purchased last week-end: the
21mm auto-proclaimed "brilliant" viewfinder (ref 12008). 

How can ANYONE justify the cost of that approximative cheaply assembled
plastic gizmo ? I can find some reason to the price I paid for the 21mm
lens (build quality, smoothness of operation, quality of the glass), but
I feel like a real sucker having been forced into spending over 11.000
BEF (300 USD) more on an "accessory" that is vital to be allowed to use
that lens !

That is the price of a Metz 40MZ2, half the price of a mint 50mm
Summicron, twice the price of a 50mm f1.8 Nikkor, more than a flatbed A4
scanner, more than a colour inkjet printer, more than a full working
brand new Stylus Epic...

Leica has been producing 21mm lenses (and viewfinders) for decades.
There is NO marketing hype that can justify this. It should at the very
least be included with the lens and/or be at least as correctly built as
the Contax G equivalent. What I bought does not cost more than 15 USD
(leather pouch included) to produce...

BTW that piece of plastic is almost impossible to find in Brussels: out
of inventory with most dealers, with the importer, and, seemingly, with
Sölms. They all sell the 21mm asph and non-asph, but they sold out the
viewfinder. Puzzlement, puzzlement...

Alan
Brussels-Belgium.

RBedw51767 wrote:
 
> Leica, in my opinion, is trying to keep price down and is doing so with
> compromises on the R (perhaps on the M, as well). 
>...<CUT>....