[Leica] Saving Leica

[Afterswift at aol.com (Afterswift@aol.com)]

In a message dated 2/18/05 5:11:43 PM, lug-request@leica-users.org writes:


> If Leica's market is a few "offline" greek tycoons and retired dentists,
> they're
> screwed - current quarter losses or not.? They'd be wise to listen to
> online
> communities. It's the word-of-mouth marketing of the present and the 
> future.
> 
> Scott
> -------------------------------------------
Scott,

Just because certain folks are well-heeled doesn't mean that they're Leica 
camera buyers. People who appreciate fine photographic equipment are Leica 
consumers, and they come in all income levels. The problem is that there 
just 
aren't enough such connoisseurs and au courant people around to create a 
large 
market for Leica products. Sure, the number of consumers have increased to 
global 
proportions, but so have the number of camera models. And a number of these 
models have come up very close to Leica in quality, if we just consider 
Nikon 
and Canon and Olympus. Besides, photography has become demystified by 
technology 
that does almost all the work.

Leica must learn to navigate in these new waters. They received some good 
advice on this list. I don't know whether research and development could be 
farmed out or if off-the-shelf components will come to the rescue of Leica, 
like 
24x36 sensor arrays that can render images according to Leica M and R specs, 
etc. Or perhaps Leica should put out an interim line of DX cameras and 
lenses. 
Would you gentlemen buy them? That would restore Leica's quality tradition. 

Later you can trade in and get the full 35mm articles. Nothing wrong with 
Leica producing both DX and D35 models as a full complement digital line. 
And 
there, up front, is that old reliable, the M7 leading the parade. We use our 
classic Nikon lenses with the D70. I don't hear anyone complaining. It's 
kinds 
nice to convert a 50mm Nikkor to 70mm when used with a D70, etc. 

Leica would have nothing to lose except red ink.

Bob