Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/08/16

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Subject: [Leica] Good and bad Leica news from Amateur Photographer Magazine
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Sat Aug 16 20:45:30 2008

Leica has been a small premium nitch company since the 20's.
It says Zeiss and the front of as many point and shoots in the Best Buy and
the Staples as it says Leica. How much it really has to do with either
company is anybodies guess. Leica is not about to sell out.
In the future when you buy a Leica its going to be a quality product just
like its always been. An M8 was not chosen for a price point to compete with
Nikons and Canons. Neither was the M6 or 7 or Mp.



mark@rabinergroup.com
Mark William Rabiner



> From: Jayanand Govindaraj <jayanand@gmail.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:18:49 +0530
> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Good and bad Leica news from Amateur Photographer
> Magazine
> 
> They have to build lenses in Canon/Nikon mount at the very least to 
> survive,
> the route Zeiss seems to be taking. They also have to become more of a
> photographic design company rather than a manufacturing one, and go in for
> contract manufacturing for their needs. Otherwise maintaining expensive
> plants in Germany with dwindling sales is not great. A rise in Leica's R&D
> expenses will still be minuscule in comparision even to Nikon, leave alone
> Canon. Actually, they should study Nikon who are also in a similar position
> in the market, battling behemoths like Canon, Matsushita, Sony, Samsung 
> etc.
> How do they manage to be the manufacturer of choice? Surely Leica has 
> enough
> goodwill left to try seriously? Instead of making equipment that is 
> targeted
> at the rich amateur, however good it may be?
> Cheers
> Jayanand
> 
> 
> On Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 2:52 AM, Nathan Wajsman 
> <photo@frozenlight.eu>wrote:
> 
>> The eternal optimist Mark...
>> 
>> These numbers are truly dismal, especially since sales of M cameras are 
>> now
>> blamed for the decline. The R line is not even on the radar screen.
>> 
>> The best way for Leica to survive is to become part of a larger
>> photo/consumer electronics group with financial resources to fund the
>> necessary product development and marketing.
>> 
>> Nathan
>> 
>> Nathan Wajsman
>> Alicante, Spain
>> http://www.frozenlight.eu
>> http://www.greatpix.eu
>> http://www.nathanfoto.com
>> 
>> Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
>> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
>> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Aug 16, 2008, at 9:23 PM, Mark Rabiner wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> 
>>> http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Leica_Camera_hit_by_fall_in_sales_
>>> news_265584.html
>>> Or
>>> http://tinyurl.com/5jkyds
>>> 
>>> 
>>> " Leica recorded a net loss of ?3,850,000, partly caused by a 35% rise in
>>> research and development spending, adds the German-based firm. "
>>> 
>>> I call that good news.
>>> They are trying 35% harder.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> mark@rabinergroup.com
>>> Mark William Rabiner
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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




Replies: Reply from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Good and bad Leica news from Amateur Photographer Magazine)
In reply to: Message from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Good and bad Leica news from Amateur Photographer Magazine)