Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 10:40 12/01/99 +0900, Ken Iisaka wrote : After Yasuhara proved that there was a significant interest for inexpensive, screwmount rangefinder cameras, companies mentioned above have apparently decided to produce competitive models. Cosina, which already manufactures inexpensive OEM SLRs for Olympus,Nikon and many others is rumoured to release a rangefinder body and lenses. Hoya, which recently bought the Voigtlander name from Samsung,will release two lenses: 15mm and 25mm. The former is said to be far superior to Hologon, and will be far less expensive. More screwmount lenses are on their way. I was informed that Map Camera in Shinjuku is now starting to take reservations, so I will go there tonight to check them out. > ####################### Yup, is it true bill or make-believe ? I think it's make-believe. I saw Yasuhara's website and my conclusion is that Mr Yasuhara is an amusing person. For instance he writes : "I am thinking not only about the licensing problems but about the Leica company itself. Some person told me the patents have run out on the Leica M mount and some Japanese camera makers are now planning to release new M mount cameras. Straightly to say, it must be very easy for every Japanese camera makers to make much advanced, more cheap M mount cameras compared with Leica M seriese. But how about the position of Leica company? Will Japanese camera makers kill another maker again? If we can find enough reason we should make M mount cameras, we will think about it. But we will never make M mount camera with the reason the patents have run out". That's not serious. If I were a manager with such a camera project, the first thing would be to inform myself about the Leica patents ! Yasuhara does not know if the patent on the M mount still runs !! The answer is yes according to Chasseur d'images (n°210, p. 14). I read elsewhere on the LUG :"The patent on the Leica M mount expired in '73.(Marc)".I know that it is always possible to prolong a patent. How ? I have no time to begin a research on the subject. Dominique Pellissier