Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/06/15

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Subject: [Leica] Another R option (now M9)
From: richard at imagecraft.com (Richard Man)
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:19:17 -0700
References: <BANLkTi=AN3Voe46p_kWSW5h5eh9h8rAnEg@mail.gmail.com> <6B0082E6-FDE6-4DCB-AFCF-C6B3504A5730@btinternet.com> <006f01cc2a97$9d7bb420$d8731c60$@earthlink.net> <BANLkTi=rwyXw=j0B8ta4j7KKPJKdm_VWww@mail.gmail.com> <BANLkTinwJa0sFZA2s4JGGGQJJX2Za=Racw@mail.gmail.com> <BANLkTin74W-XDfaUbUXLu8CEnL+-qHzoLw@mail.gmail.com> <774A86B5-2543-4107-ADF5-C4FE03472A44@btinternet.com>

Well Frank, I wasn't going to engage in this thread anymore but since you
called me out :-)

First of all, re: last point, I was the originator of the thread that says
may be Leica pricing are not artificially high, so I agree with you there.

As for lower priced product killing the company, we are just two armchair
Leica CEO here. I think we are agree that the current strategy is doing them
very well. The question is 5 years from now or 10 years from now.

IIRC, Leica sold a lot of M6, very successful - but then they almost got
killed because they don't have another killer product.

And just as you think that a "cheaper model would be dumb in the extreme," I
think that using other companies as examples, i.e. DeLorean is also a
non-starter. The companies are very different.

Enough from me. I really don't care - I have the Leica I want, and what I
say would have zero influence on Leica.

On Wed, Jun 15, 2011 at 3:50 AM, Frank Dernie
<Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com>wrote:

> Yes Richard, but with what production capacity would they manufacture this
> cheaper product?
> There have been certain people predicting the doom of Leica as long as I
> have been on it and it is still there. There have been dire warnings to
> change direction and so forth. Most of which made no sense to me, and,
> presumably Leica since they haven't followed the advice and are currently
> profitable.
>
> The fact is the M9 is very much more successful than expected, so to
> produce a cheaper model would be dumb in the extreme IMO.
>
> I don't thing the price is bad, given the production volume, and all the
> posts about boutique products priced high only apply to the special 
> editions
> and so forth. If people want to buy -those- why not but the M9 is an
> appropriately priced low volume production camera. Thats all IMO.
>
> cheers,
> Frank D
>
>
> On 14 Jun, 2011, at 23:36, Richard Man wrote:
>
> > Geoff, while I agree with your assessment that this is a good short term
> > strategy, I still think Leica can do well by introducing a current M8.3
> with
> > the magenta problem fixed (and leave the MP at 10, or may be 12, and crop
> > sensor) and emphasize the Summarits line for that camera. Sell a package
> > with a camera and a lens bundled for $4000 and that could ensure Leica's
> > long term success.
> >
> > On Tue, Jun 14, 2011 at 2:51 PM, Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Because Leica Camera's customers have bought more than twice as many
> >> Summiluxes as Summarits when given the choice.
> >> Because, even if it could be designed and produced for less, a lower
> cost
> >> body might cannabilise sales of the M9 which has sold at least twice as
> >> well
> >> as expected and taxed production capacity since it was introduced
> anyway.
> >> Why would they want to divert some of that capacity? The mount is freely
> >> usable for any manufacturer if they thought that they could or should
> >> compete in the niche as well.
> >>
> >> A used M8 is the suggested alternate entry .
> >> ,
> >> Cheers
> >> Geoff
> >>
> >> *Life's not black and white, except at both ends*
> >> http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Tue, Jun 14, 2011 at 7:03 PM, Frank Filippone <
> red735i at earthlink.net
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> It's not about offering an M9 for $1, it's about offering an
> >> ALTERNATIVE
> >>> to
> >>>> the M9 at a lower price point.  Leica offers the Summarit lenses at an
> >>>> intro
> >>>> point, why not a body?
> >>>>
> >>>> Frank Filippone
> >>>> Red735i at earthlink.net
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> 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
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > // richard <http://www.imagecraft.com/>
> > // icc blog: <http://imagecraft.com/blog/>
> > // richard's personal photo blog: <http://www.5pmlight.com>
> > [ For technical support on ImageCraft products, please include all
> previous
> > replies in your msgs. ]
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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
>



-- 
// richard <http://www.imagecraft.com/>
// icc blog: <http://imagecraft.com/blog/>
// richard's personal photo blog: <http://www.5pmlight.com>
[ For technical support on ImageCraft products, please include all previous
replies in your msgs. ]


Replies: Reply from frank.dernie at btinternet.com (FRANK DERNIE) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))
In reply to: Message from wanderjan at gmail.com (Jan Decher) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))
Message from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))
Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))
Message from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))
Message from hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))
Message from richard at imagecraft.com (Richard Man) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))
Message from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] Another R option (now M9))