[Leica] Leica Quality Falls Off?

[vick.ko at sympatico.ca (Vick Ko)]

A redesign of the mechanicals can do a lot to reduce part count and
complexity of making each part.  Also, parts from other similar lenses can
be used, which also helps to economize the final product.

And a reduction of overall lens elements can compensate for the addition of
an ASPH element.

I have a friend who owns an industrial digital camera company (for cameras
for production lines) and one of his challenges is that customers expect
improvements in the design, fixing of all known prior bugs, and a price
reduction for new orders.  

Leica has the same expectations - new stuff must be better and cheaper.  And
faster.  Or buyers go elsewhere.

Vick

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+vick.ko=sympatico.ca@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+vick.ko=sympatico.ca@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of John
Collier
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 9:15 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica Quality Falls Off?

....

As to a quality difference in the new 28/2.8 Asph, it is one of the few
times Leica has replaced a lens and the replacement is significantly
cheaper. As the lens it replaced didn't have an Aspherical element, I think
they must have cut back somewhere. If I get a 28, it will be non-Asph F2.8
or the Summicron.

John Collier