Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/23

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Leica prototype
From: Andre Jean Quintal <megamax@abacom.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 10:57:21 -0400

Good Morning Roger, and all,

	YES, I agree with you: the M6 is a pro tool.
	I'm not advocating a specific this or that,
	just voicing what I think would be ANOTHER
	viable LEICA brand (and quality) product.

	Audio freaks resisted giving up their vinyls
	but their system parameters are antiquated
	and wouldn't sell, though I can understand they are
	happy with vinyls.

	To me, the M6 system is a SYSTEM,
	a total approach to photography.

	BUT, LEICA will eventually come up with
	INTERMEDIATE offerings, most probably somewhere
	between a point-and-shoot and a M6 TTL.
	I happen to think the LEICA M6, and variants,
	will remain the wonderful pinnacle they truly are,
	but there is a place and a market in between the Minilux
	Zoom and the LEICA M6, in LEICA's very own
	markets and distribution system, worldwide.
	I would hope the LEICA people agree to pursue
	a broader, more mass appeal market, retaining their
	philosophy and quality, with HYBRID products
	that stand borderline between SLR and rangefinder,
	that the average joe can use twice a year
	and be assured of outstanding results,
	and that do not require spin maven to sell...
	Hoping that what next comes from LEICA will be
	enough of a product to sell on merit at more
	accessible price points, while the flagship
	M6 and R8 continue to evolve and remain
	references in their own right.
	Part of my point, too, was that it's quite difficult
	to make the M6 evolve much further without a major
	and extremely costly re-design, taking into account
	the general enchantment of the M6 crowd,
	internationally even.

	I was hitting [ hinting ? ] for a notch below,
	a bit like the Harley Davidson 'Sportster' ...

	Andre Jean Quintal

At 07:15 -0700 23/06/99, Roger Beamon wrote:
>On 23 Jun 99, Andre Jean Quintal wrote, at least in part:
>
>>  -- it would, perhaps, make more sense to develop
>>   a totally different product that banks
>>   on LEICA optics.
>>   I'd tend to vote for a black titanium body rangefinder
>>   that looks like an SLR, has auto everything,
>
><snip>
>
>Yuck, Andre! I wouldn't go near that 'dream camera'. Precisely
>why I sold my EOS 1n kit.
>
>It's "horses for courses" for me. That's why I own an M6 and a
>R6.2. I do recognize, however, the enormity of that market; just
>hope that Leica doesn't pursue it.
>
>--
>Roger
>mailto:roger@beamon.org
>
>    Forecasting is very difficult,
>    especially if it involves the future.
>            -- Casey Stengel


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