Re: Leica technology and keeping up with inflation

[Tom Hodge <thodge@charweb.org>]

Chris and all,

I agree that Leica has done it's share of resting on it's laurels as well
as making strides forward.  They have stayed the course of Oskar Barnack's
basic, steadfast concepts but blended them with modern manufacturing
technology and computerization to improve the breed enormously.  Given
Leica M's strong roots, I'd find it hard to imagine they'll ever put a
whole lot of "bells and whistles" on the M as we know it.  They don't have
to.  I think they can do a whole lot of exploring in the hi-tech areas
without touching the basic M concept and it won't hurt them at all. 

As to inflation, the basic economic rule is that everything - EVERYTHING -
"turns over" (doubles in price) every 15 years.  Cars, candy bars, 
houses, clothing, vacuum cleaners......the only real exception being 
modern hi-tech electronics.  Once the first few thousand brave souls that 
have to be the first to have anything new pay for the developments costs, 
the prices drop like a rock.

(Remember the old days of the H-P calculators?  Texas Instruments sold the
same things later on for 1/4 the price!  And the modern Pentium computer
we have at our hands now wasn't even possible a few years ago - and if it
would have been, it would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars and
the size of a barn!)

Leica is on pretty solid ground - technology-wise - because it CAN be.  We
M fans allow it to be.  There are the hard-core of us that want it pretty
much as it is; there's the "R" line for others and the point-n-shoot area
for everyone else.  It's probably the largest "niche" market of it's type
in the universe.  Ranks right up there with anything else you can think of
that is both coveted as a user item AND a collector's piece.  Leica's
bowing to make commemorative and gold plated items only serves as
reinforcement and verification that they almost acknowledge this lofty
position they're in.

They appear to be so conservative, I'm surprised they ever did a 
"point-n-shoot" autofocus and continue to make some fairly advanced 
motions in the "R" line.  I do admire their unwavering dedication to 
quality and a form of old-world craftsmanship missing in everything else 
you can find on the market.  After our discussions are long dead and 
gone, I have a feeling there will still be Leica M's pretty much as we 
know them now.  And if you think prices are high NOW.....consider if and 
when Leica considers closing it's doors........

Regards,

Tom Hodge

p.s. a "brew-pub" nr. Solms?  There has to be one.  It's in Germany, isn't
it?  The town and local region breweries make some of the finest beers on
Earth.  The German purity brewing act of 1411 or something way the heck back
forbids any brewery from making beer with anything except water, a malted
product, sugar, yeast and hops.  Way up north nr. Hamburg, there is a
(commercial) "farmer's beer" called Jever.  I have never had a finer beer
in my life!  You can't even get it in the middle regions of Germany.  
Their basic beers don't "travel" very well.  The Dinkel-Ackers and 
Bitburg's and Warsteiner's and Beck's are made a little differently and can 
make the voyage around the world.  But the basic local beers in 
Deutchland - along with big slabs of sausage, cheeze and fabulous German 
rye breads make my mouth water just thinking about 'em!  Just as Leica, 
they have taken the course of absolute perfection and aren't terribly 
rushed or in a big hurry to change.  If several centuries haven't knocked 
them off their pedastels, it's unlikely many of us can or will.

rgds,

th