[Leica] Future R Plan

[leicanikon at earthlink.net (Stephen Gandy)]

I can understand why you would think I am advocating abandonment of the R 
system,
but that would make no sense financially.

Leica has a huge investment in the R system.  the problem is how to get a 
return
on that investment.

1) Leica R glass is probably the best SLR glass available overall.  About 
60% of
the independent manuf SLR lens sales are Nikon AIS.  to make profit on R 
glass,
Leica needs to sell that glass in Nikon AIS mount

2) Leica is rumored to have a large quantity of unsold R9 bodies.  Leica 
needs to
turn that inventory into cash. The way to do that is to announce that R SLR 
bodies
are discontinued.  This would turn a slow seller into a hot seller as people 
go
for the last German R body.

3) Staying with lenses in R mount and Nikon mount, Leica needs to license 
the R
body mount, allowing other manuf to make R cameras.   This is a fast,  no 
cost way
for Leica to offer their fans digital R bodies, while at the same time 
making a
license fee off each body without investment.   Imagine a Kodak 14MP or 
Sigma or
the latest 12 MP Fujica digitals in Leica R mount.  Of course those digital 
bodies
would would also sell more a hell of a lot of  Leica made R lenses.

I believe these three plans would result in a big R system profit.

Stephen Gandy



Doug Herr wrote:

> Exactly!  When a manufacturer has a weak-performing product line the 
> choices
> include abandonment (B.D. and Gandy)