RE: [Leica] Elmarit 90 R/Reflections

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

But Arturo, here's the rub...What you look at as an "entry level" package is
WAY beyond the means - or at least the willingness to spend - of the person
who's now buying an N8008 and a decent zoom, or even an N-90, or a decent
Canon. With the Leica we're talking about an "entry" point of about $2000
for a body and at least $1000 for a lens - assuming the equipment is new.
That's an entry point that isn't going to attract many new users.

If Leica wants to survive, it's going to have to do so by providing value
and service to pros and to "non-pro" dedicated Leica enthusiasts. How can
they do that?

1- Continue to manufacture the M come hell or high water - it's a unique
product and one for which there will always be a market;
2- Produce an auto-focus/exposure, etc. M body and a line of autofocus
lenses, but design it in such a way that existing M lenses can be used on it
for manual focus;
3- Introduce a cheaper body, like the vaporware Japanese one we've seen the
pictures of, that will take existing M lenses. That would allow serious
amateurs and pros with limited budgets to get into the RF game.

And - please, no flames - I'd ditch the R and put the real effort in the
rangefinder end as I think there's just too much entrenched competition from
N and C for the R to ever be more than what amounts to a novelty item - I
know, I know, it's the best manual SLR in the world! :-) I don't doubt that,
Ted, Eric, etc....I'm just offering MHO about the economic and marketing
realities that face Leica with a year to go to the Millenium.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of
> AJSymi@aol.com
> Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 1998 1:40 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Elmarit 90 R/Reflections
>
>
> I think it was a good thing when Leica offered the 35mm & 90mm Elmarits.
> Along with the 50mmf2.0, there were 3 relatively affordable lenses to get
> newbies into the system.  Perhaps the new 28-70 or 35-70 has
> filled that gap
> since the discontinued Elmarits.  Now, a lower-priced R body
> would complete
> the entry-level package.
>
> Arturo
>