Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/25

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Save Leica! (was: Ted Grant's Ravings)
From: Steven Alexander <alexpix@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 15:47:38 -0500

on 1/25/00 3:17 PM, Rob Schneider-Laura Tully at robslaurat@earthlink.net
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
> 
> 
My turn after many hours of this exchange.

Rob(and others of like mind) you are correct, there will continue to be 35mm
Leicas around even if the company folds.  My concern is the lack of support
from Kodak, Fuji, Ilford and Agfa for b&w material.  I do not collect
cameras, I make photographs.  I enjoy making my income from making
photographs and after all these years would have a hard time finding a new
vocation.  Color work pays most of the way but the b&w work grows and it is
what I truly enjoy and look forward to creating.

My Mac, Ls-2000 and Epson make pretty good attempts at finished photograph;
however, I still look forward to good silver prints made from chemical
capture.  I need a camera recording device to hold the stuff, film, and for
over 30 years used Leica M's as the container of choice and plan to
continue.  The personal reasons for this choice are another subject.  I
don't care if they are new or used as long as the TOOL works and assists me
in creating images.

Now I too have added to the thread.

Off to make a pix or two.

Steven Alexander