Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica USA no longer selling repair parts
From: Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 00:34:22 -0700

Feli di Giorgio wrote:

> Leica  may simply be out of parts or they built too good a mousetrap. 
> When was the last time you saw a Leica M that actually died from over 
> use?

That still didn't stop them from selling 16,000 M7s last year.  And it 
still doesn't justify alienating a hitherto largely fanatically loyal 
customer base, by cutting off third-party service.  OK, so we don't 
tattoo the red roundel on our arms (do we?) but when I got back into 
photography a few years ago, I bought an M3 because I knew I could 
always get it competently fixed should I need to without it costing 
more than the camera itself.  I later bought an M2, for the same 
reason, which indeed did need to go to Sherry.  And when I sold my M3, 
I used the money to finance a new M6TTL.  If independent repair people 
had not been available, I would have chosen a different marque, because 
Leica ownership would have been prohibitively expensive. I don't think 
that my story is atypical of how many people end up using Leica 
rangefinders.

And having built the best mousetrap still wouldn't stop them from 
offering a diversified product portfolio, which a cheaper, entry-level 
camera (and perhaps lenses too).  But of course, they're Leica, so they 
can't do that, which meant that Cosina could step in and clean up that 
end of the market.  Imagine if Leica had developed and sold the $500 
"R2" three years ago, instead of that whole stupid Null Series thing.  
It'd be a whole different ballgame.  The couple of grand or so that 
I've dropped on NEW Cosina products would have ended up on Leica's 
balance sheet, with a clear progression toward the more exotic and 
expensive stuff.

Maybe Cosina will buy out Leica -- just like Fiat bought out Ferrari.

M.

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