Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/25

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Subject: [Leica] Re:Panasonic releases the Lumix DMC-L1
From: bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen)
Date: Sun Jun 25 19:35:26 2006

I'm well aware that their profit comes from the medical business Don. In
fact I seem to recall posting something in the past 48 hours pointing out
that they are, when all is said and done, a very successful medical
equipment company with a little consumer camera business. And I wonder how
much of last year's "loss" was connected to all the costs connected with
moving U.S. headquarters from Long Island to Bethlehem, PA, building a new
building, and relocating allot of employees.

At least Olympus has another business to keep the camera biz afloat with...


On 6/25/06 10:52 AM, "Don Dory" <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote:

> B.D.
> Olympus has just released their annual P&L's.  They swung from loss last
> year to a profit, but the profit came from the medical business not the
> camera business.  If I recall the numbers correctly, the camera division 
> was
> down 6.8% from the prior year, even with strong last quarter sales of the
> E500.
> 
> Don
> don.dory@gmail.com
> 
> 
> On 6/25/06, B. D. Colen <bdcolen@comcast.net> wrote:
>> 
>> I believe they are making money, but I think - and I have no inside
>> information - that they are making a profit, but largely on the point and
>> shoots. It's been the general belief of the Japanese camera companies that
>> they must have pro lines if they're in the camera biz.
>> Glad to hear you're happy with the E1 - it is, as I believe Erwin Puts
>> said
>> - the Barnack camera of the digital age. :-)
>> 
>> 
>> ...... Original Message .......
>> On Sat, 24 Jun 2006 20:36:39 -0700 mehrdad <msadat@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> B.D, it makes sense. that's what is going any other business out
>>> there, but olumpus must be making money otherwise they would get out
>>> of camera business
>>> 
>>> PS
>>> i ended up buying two E1 and E330. the E1 has been absolute joy to
>>> use; quite, compact, and with the right lenses very very sharp. i
>>> ended up with the 14-54, 7-14, 150/2 and 11-22
>>> 
>>> On 6/24/06, B. D. Colen <bd@bdcolenphoto.com> wrote:
>>>> Actually, Don and Mehrdad, this has little to do with film or digital,
>> and
>>>> everything to do with the reality of modern business practices and
>>>> economics. In almost every field, where there used to be many 'little
>> guys,"
>>>> there are now a handful of giants.
>>>> 
>>>> Consider how many auto manufacturers there were forty years ago, and
>> how
>>>> many there are now. Did the independents all disappear or get subsumed
>> by
>>>> the giants because of battery worries, LCD suppliers, software
>> engineers, or
>>>> cost/quantity problems? I think not - they disappeared because business
>>>> today is all about the stock price, not the product; it's about selling
>>>> quantity, not quality. So the little guy who turns out a specialty item
>> will
>>>> be forever teetering on the brink of extinction.
>>>> 
>>>> And by the way, the reason there is still an Olympus today has nothing
>> to do
>>>> with cameras - it has to do with the fact that Olympus is one of the
>> world's
>>>> leaders in the medical scope business, and in the manufacture of
>> certain
>>>> other medical devices - something in excess of 70 percent of the
>> colonoscopy
>>>> scopes sold in the U.S. are manufactured by Olympus, and 90 percent of
>> the
>>>> blood analyzers used by hospital and independent blood banks are made
>> by
>>>> Olympus. The photo business is but the tip of the dog's tail.;-)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On 6/23/06 9:06 PM, "Don Dory" <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Mehrdad,
>>>>> I think that the difference is that in years past, film was the great
>>>>> leveler.  If the lens line was OK then load up some film and away you
>> go.
>>>>> If you did not have a good lens line then you used the Zeiss/Pentax
>> thread
>>>>> and no worries.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Today, the camera does everything and you might be dependant on the
>> RAW
>>>>> converter if the brand turns out to be too obscure.  So, better safe
>> than
>>>>> sorry and on the way to Nikon/Canon who not only have complete lens
>> lines
>>>>> but are in no immediate danger of going out of busines like Minolta,
>> Konica,
>>>>> Olympus in the film business(before B.D. chimes in there were a lot
>> of POed
>>>>> folks that Olympus got out of the SLR business some time before the
>> E-1
>>>>> became reality).  Another difference this time around is the
>> technology is
>>>>> tough; last time around you could buy a copal shutter, hire some
>> young
>> girls
>>>>> to assemble your body and Bob's your uncle.  Now, you have battery
>> worries,
>>>>> LCD suppliers, software engineers, chip supplies and in what quantity
>> and
>>>>> what price.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Another factor is we are all much more informed than in years past.
>> Forty
>>>>> years ago if your local trusted dealer told you to go with the
>> Practica,
>>>>> Miranda, Exacta, Minolta, Pentacon, or whatever you might go with the
>> dealer
>>>>> as you didn't know any better.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Don
>>>>> don.dory@gmail.com
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 6/23/06, mehrdad <msadat@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> don how is this different when it was only film?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> we had a lot more companies, they all thrived and prospered as we
>> did
>>>>>> with choice
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 6/23/06, Don Dory <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Gene,
>>>>>>> That is the story throughout most of the world.  Conjecture on my
>> part
>>>>>> is
>>>>>>> that Nikon and Canon especially have reached critical mass for
>> DSLR's.
>>>>>>> Meaning that a true amateur might end up with a Pentax, Olympus, of
>>>>>> Minolta;
>>>>>>> but anyone who has done research and wants to fit in(notice the
>> logical
>>>>>>> argument) would buy anything but Canon or Nikon. Exception to this
>> rule
>>>>>>> would be the large number of Pentax lovers who will buy the brand
>>>>>> because of
>>>>>>> lens compatibility, price, size, and feature set.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> So, unless the Alpha and the Olympus new models truly walk on water
>> and
>>>>>> take
>>>>>>> pictures of Aliens and Angeline J's new baby then they will suffer
>> the
>>>>>> fate
>>>>>>> of the Olympus and Minolta SLR's which is abandonment and
>>>>>> discontinuation.
>>>>>>> Even the Japanese companies will no longer continue a line that
>> loses
>>>>>> money
>>>>>>> in perpetuity.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On the other hand Canon especially and Nikon as well can not build
>> their
>>>>>>> models fast enough.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Don
>>>>>>> don.dory@gmail.com
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On 6/23/06, Grduprey@aol.com <Grduprey@aol.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> In a message dated 6/21/2006 5:03:14 PM Central Daylight Time,
>>>>>>>> bdcolen@comcast.net writes:
>>>>>>>> Boy, is that the truth. The B mode is nice to have for macro work,
>> or
>>>>>>>> perhaps for formal portraiture. But the A, real-time live view is
>> what
>>>>>>>> makes the E330 special. So all the Panisonic really has is a truly
>>>>>> crappy
>>>>>>>> viewfinder, analogue controls, and a 'Leica' lens? No wonder
>> Olympus
>>>>>> was
>>>>>>>> willing to license the technology to them. ;-)
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> The really sad thing is our local Oly dealer can't give them
>>>>>> away.  But
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> D200's and 30D's are flying off the shelves.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Gene
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
>> information
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
>> information
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> -------------------------------------
>>>>>> regards, mehrdad
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>>  -------------------------------------
>>>  regards, mehrdad
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> ___
>> Sent from handheld device. Please forgive any typos or spelling errors.
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



In reply to: Message from don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Re:Panasonic releases the Lumix DMC-L1)