Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/01/24

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Subject: [Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x
From: scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)
Date: Mon Jan 24 05:27:51 2005
References: <000501c5016f$001f0e00$6401a8c0@ccapr.com> <82170D5E-6DB9-11D9-BBA3-000D933F4332@earthlink.net>

Feli,

The comparison with the  Mamiya 7 is a good one. The point is that we 
can imagine
new digital Leica products to fulfill real market desires.   Also, your 
point that while
the film M bodies are hardly main stream, you still meet many folks who 
lust for one
is apt - especially in light of your own declaration of having completed 
your own M
system.

Leica needs new customers. Fresh ones that haven't yet fleshed out there 
system.
Not mainstream consumers, but fresh well heeled "enthusiasts."  Leica 
needs to
translate this lust and myth and new digital technology into a new 
customer base,
a future generation of Leica customer.

New customers might not have the same expectations of older generations. 
Maybe
a $1,500 body with a metal shutter but a "matrix" meter, a higher flash 
sync and a
nicely designed bounch flash unit (egad!) would attract a new generation 
of shooter.
Maybe it would be bundled with a Tri-Elmar as the "standard" lens, to 
entice a
generation of buyers raised on zooms.  Film? Digital, certainly. Who 
knows?   But
Leica can't only look to a 1953 family of innovations for a future 
direction.

In any case, Leica can't only look to the LHSA member base for an 
expression of
future market demand. It just makes no sense if the company is to thrive 
servicing
future generations of shooters.

Scott

Feli wrote:

>
> On Jan 23, 2005, at 9:14 AM, B. D. Colen wrote:
>
>>  If Leica can put out a Leica quality $1500 body, and $750-$1500 
>> lenses, the move begs two questions - a. Why not just buy Cosina or 
>> Zeiss?
>
>
> Personally I'm not too crazy about he Cosina/Zeiss. One thing is the 
> shutter is louder
> and the Cosina at lest is not as well made. Not bad, just not as good...
>
>>  Two, what the hell have they been doing ripping us off all these 
>> years? ;-)
>
>
> Where are the pitchforks and torches?
>
>
>> 2. The landscape is not littered with people waiting to jump into the
>> world of film. The world of film is the Titanic with it's stern in the
>> air; most people have already made it into the digital boats, or have
>> slipped into the ocean, and there is a handful of diehards clinging to
>> the stern rail screaming "film forever!" The question is not how to 
>> attract new masses to Leica, it's how to hang on to the fanboys (and 
>> girls) and what kind of digital product to introduce to hopefully 
>> capture a new user base.
>
>
> I agree with you on your Titanic comparison. The market for film based 
> M cameras is going to continue to shrink and will mostly consist of 
> artists, film diehards and Robert Capa impersonators, until someone 
> tells them that he was a Contax man. I suppose the question is, how 
> much more is it going to shrink? M shooters aren't exactly mainstream 
> and even in this day and age I still run into a lot of people that 
> lust after one. Personally I already own more bodies than I will be 
> able to wear out in my lifetime, unless they are stolen, destroyed 
> lost or I win the lottery. My body buying days are pretty much over 
> same for lenses. I would like a 1.4/35 Summilux ASPH, but that's about 
> it...
>
>> Oh, and as to the idea of an M that requires new lenses - good bleeping
>> luck. The only thing that will now draw people to a Leica digital RF -
>> well, will draw the people who are NOT prepared to buy everything Leica
>> builds simply because it has the name Leica on it - is a desire to use
>> the lenses in which they have invested so much money, and which are
>> clearly high quality. But an entirely new digital product that requires
>> all new lenses - at Leica prices? No way.
>
>
> Not sure sure about that. I really think there is a market for a 
> professional level, full frame (or close) digital rangefinder. People 
> dropped lots of cash on the Mamiya 7 series when it came out. I know a 
> few people who shoot in the theater and film production, and they 
> wouldn't mind a small, unobtrusive camera with fast lenses that puts 
> out pro level images.
>
> Feli
>
>> B. D.
>
> ________________________________________________________
> feli2@earthlink.net                 2 + 2 = 4               
> www.elanphotos.com
>
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In reply to: Message from bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x)
Message from feli2 at earthlink.net (Feli) ([Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x)