Re: [Leica] Save Leica! (was: Ted Grant's Ravings)

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

Now Rob...You're being just a wee bit harsh, and, dare I say it, short 
sighted. As Leica shooters - not collectors, not sycophants ( at least some 
of us aren't), but users - we certainly benefit from Leica remaining in 
business, continuing to manufacture cameras and lenses, producing parts. If 
nothing else, a constant supply of new cameras produces a larger supply of 
used cameras. And, with Leica alive, they can merge, be bought out, etc., 
by a company that might have the foresight to produce some updated versions 
of the classics while, I would hope, still producing the classic.

However, when all is said and done, your basic premise is correct - the 
factory gates shut and we go on shooting....

B. D.

At 03:17 PM 1/25/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Stephen Gandy wrote:
>
> > Ted I agree with most of what you say, but this is hardly an "either or"
> > world.   When Leica does make some sort of major M6 update, it's hard 
> to believe
> > today's mechanical M6 would be discontinued.   Why not both cameras in 
> the Leica
> > lineup ?
> >
> > However something is broken, but it's not the camera -- it's the lack 
> of black
> > ink in Solms.  Something has to change, or everyone on this list will 
> eventually
> > become collectors of a discontinued camera.  Leica's losses can not 
> continue
> > forever.   With the most serious rangefinder competition Leica has had 
> in 40
> > years, how can Leica not introduce new models to counter the 
> competition  and
> > hopefully help gain back profitability?
> >
> > The "Ain't broke and needs no fixin'!" argument at Leica makes no sense 
> to me
> > when the little boat is slowly sinking in a sea of red ink.   Something 
> has to
> > be done, and it needs to work.
> >
> > Stephen Gandy
> >
> >
>Here's where I jump off the bandwagon.  I honestly don't care whether Leica
>Camera A.G. is in business next year or not.  If they go out of business
>tomorrow, there are (and will continue to be) tens of thousands of M2, M3,
>M4(-2/-P), M5, M6 bodies on the market or ready for market.  There are
>probably hundreds of thousands of lenses of all vintages and focal lengths.
>There are a number of highly skilled, dedicated, independent repair people.
>So what if the Leica M becomes the Rolleiflex of 35mm?  The cameras and
>lenses will continue to function, will continue to be repairable, and will
>continue to be for sale on the used market for decades.
>
>Oh, but the prices will skyrocket!  I bet not.  They may go up for a time,
>the same way some pieces go up now when some group of collectors suddenly
>decide that a particular serial number block of M3's represents the finest
>camera ever built, so they MUST be taken out of use and put in a vault.
>Heck, those jerks die too, and then their long-suffering families sell those
>useless, musty old relics to some estate liquidator for a song.  BINGO, more
>fine, perfectly functional Leicas for the marketplace.  The market will
>stabilize, and lots of perfectly useable, reasonably priced cameras and
>lenses will continue to change hands.
>
>This is the Leica USERS group, right?  It's not the Leica investors,
>sympathizers or sycophants (well . . . .) group.  At least not for me.  If
>Leica can figure out how to maintain its niche in the 35mm marketplace, more
>power to 'em.  If they fold, so long, it was nice to know ya.  But I have a
>hunch that my M6's and lenses won't turn to dust the day they lock the
>factory gates.  And I won't stop using them, either.
>
>Rob Schneider
>