Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Andre, Comment was ment to answer the question Martin posed, why would they..... My thought was, to increase lens sales at the very modest risk of the loss of a body sale. Given the cost would likely, at best, stay the same I would doubt the sales would jump in major quantities but for those that have a fair sum invested in their Canon or Nikon systems could pick and choose the lenses that they needed. And who knows, could even like them enough to actually buy a body after a time. I should mention that I don't assume this will ever happen, just noting why it could. Yes, I do 'see' the difference in my M and some of my Nikon lenses, but without the whole setup to go lens to lens I'm still not sold that investing the house on a switch is worth it to me, that of course is a personal choice. Now, if some enterprising person wants to supply me with a full R outfit to make the test, and of course, report back to the LUG on the results I would be more then happy to do it :-> Bill In a message dated 98-11-24 06:24:09 EST, you write: << 1 / It's not so sure Germans [ and many others ] aren't REAL PROUD of LEICA products, even if they don't or can't all own such. 2 / To maintain the sort of manufacturing levels of quality, which may not be all that automatable, perhaps, who knows if it could be done to deliver such a level of craftsmanship on, say, double or triple or ten times the quantities produced currently. 3 / Then, LEICA being "real value" oriented, it could very well be a factor that would lessen the overall value of the established LEICA base, customer loyalty (which could then "transfer" as a less meaningful "alternate lens manufacturer"), LEICA stocks per se, gradually watering down the whole LEICA market, world-wide network, business philosophy and corporate mentality and be gobbled up in no time by some corporate take-over as dedicated "followers" loose sight of what it REALLY is they invested in to start with and give in to the consensus mentality of immediate cash returns on a sell-out versus developing the capital value of the whole corporation, which has what it takes to endure in very many ways. Market pressures are one thing, managing such a high tech firm another. Market share is one thing, a self-supporting, profitable corporation with social consciousness and commitment, loyalty towards its employees and managers, then its dealers and customers, another. [ I would also question the presumption that a LEICA camera is not such a good purchase, implicit in such comments. ] Obviously, it shows that you can SEE the difference with LEICA products and wish "the others" could reach such heights. I'll buy that ! Andre Jean Quintal >>