Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>>>>>>>>>> Where do you get your information that the R6.2 is outselling the R8???? <<<<<<<<<< On November 14, 1999, Akhil Lal posted the following to the LUG: As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, a group of executives from Leica U.S.A. and Leica Solms kindly consented to meet with list members at the recent Photo Expo held here in New York City. This group included R. Horn (President, Leica U.S.A.), N. Strauch (V.P. Marketing & Sales, Solms) and R. Hagenauer (Communications & P.R., Solms). In one-to-one conversations I discussed a wide range of Leica related matters; for the benefit of list members, these conversations are summarized below. <snip> The R - System This is, for me at least, the saddest part of this report. Although I grew up in a rangefinder household - Father was a Contax man, while Grandfather owned a III f - and I own many rangefinders myself, the R's have always been my primary system. Thus it pains me to report that the R-system is not doing well in the marketplace. The biggest shock was the news that the R-6.2 is outselling the R-8 ! Note that Leica do not promote the R 6.2 very hard in their advertising. It is clear that the buying public has voted with its money and does not see any merit in the bulky R-8. I asked if the R-7 would be revived and was told that this was not planned. I was told that the R-8 chassis was to have been the basis of the next generation AF SLR system. As I've mentioned before, the AF system will not now be developed. A Contax RX style electronic focus confirmation feature was not under consideration either. No new major lenses are planned. Without explicitly being told so, I got the impression the R system is in for a period of benign neglect. I was assured that there are no plans whatsoever to discontinue the R-system. <snip>