Re: Leica M: object of desire?

[creadick@mindspring.com (Nowell & Jennifer Creadick)]

As usual..a fascinating post from Mr. Puts...

At 11:16 AM 2/21/97, Erwin Puts wrote:
>Reason for writing this email is the latest piece of text in Viewfinder.
>The LHSA persons who talked to the Leica people gave their ideas/advice
>about future directions of the M and R line.  None of their suggestions
>are new, commercial viable or make the M a better product. The idea of a
>two tier approach (wide angle M and tele M) has been tried by Rollei with
>disastrous results (not for the collector but for the company). And Leica
>did it in earlier days with the M2/M3 pair. But  nobody wants to hang two
>Leicas around his neck just to use a 35mm and a 90mm.
>One can view the Leica from two angles: as an object of desire or as a
>photographic instrument. The first view is the collectors approach. The
>second one of a person who needs a photographic job done and wants the
>best available intrument/tool. As there are about 2000 collectors Leica
>must consider this group an interesting market.

How accurate is that figure?  What is the relationship between collecting
and using.  How many "collectors" are fairly serious users? What is the
marketing relationship between these "two" groups.  ie does the existence
of the collectors group somehow support the users...eg the qualities that
make Leica collectable generate users!?

 But the 100.000 or so M6
>models that have been left the factory are not all bought by people who
>are fans/admirers of the product. Some I suspect would try to make
>pictures. If the Leica M line has a future it must be developed along
>lines that will make it an excellent photographic tool for a certain kind
>of deployment (ruggedness, optical quality)  or a certain kind of
>photography (impulsive, direct-vision photography). I personally think
>that is what Oddmund tried to explain. It does not make sense just to
>admire a product without actually using it in the ways it has been
>designed for.

Why this prejudice against those who admire something for its inherent
beauty and quality of construction and enjoy preserving it.  Should we
throw dinosaur bones to our dogs so they can be properly used?

>Many Leica users praise Leica products as excellent tools, but are not
>interested  in producing the kind of pictures the Leica is designed for.

What are those pictures?

>Which is a pity. Looking at the Viewfinder pictures I can not imagine
>that these photos exploit the optical capabilities of the Leica lenses
>(any of them). Some observers of the Leica scene have actually asked
>attention for the cruel fate of most Leica lenses: having very good
>optical qualities and designed for heavy duty use,  most are boxed and
>shelved on collectors tables. As a sideline: I once took pictures with my
>Summarit on a Leica collectors day. Some of them approached me with the
>following question: "I own one (or five) Summarits, but have never taken
>a photograph with it. You do and therefor can you tell me about the
>optical qualities?".
>The new R8 is designed as a photographic instrument and not as a product
>with just a strong historical background and a loyal group of followers.
>It is designed for a new generation of photographers.

Really?  I think that group went AF Nikon/Canon at least ten years ago.

 And it is a joy to
>use. Luckely the designers did not fall in the old Contarex trap
>(designing a superior mechanical and optical product that is impossible
>to use in the real world).
>If the Viewfinder persons would have their way we would get a new Mx,
>that would become the Contarex of the rangefinder line. (and Marc could
>write a book about the misfortunes of the Mx).
>It is clear that products have to be made for use: the strong growth in
>binoculars and projectors (both non-collectables)  and the relative
>decline of the M-line is a sure sign that the market is changing.
>I have discussed these matters with Leica managers and they are well
>aware of this dilemma.
>We als Leica users can comment on the future directions of the company,
>but now that Viewfinder seems to have appointed itself as the authority
>to speak on behalf of  Leica users (?) I wonder if somebody out there
>will care to listen. The Viewfinder view is the collectors view and not
>the market view.

Again...I pray the marketers at Leica do not make the mistake of thing
these are distinct and unrelated groups.  I think they are dynamically
related...feeding on each others pleasure and successes.

I would hate to see poor marketing decisions again hasten the decline of
another wonderful product (the Apple Macintosh comes to mind)

>The LUG evidently has the potential to evolve into a real international
>platform, but till now it is dominated by the USA region.
>
>Thanks for bearing with me this far.
>Erwin Puts

Thanks again for a thought provoking post.....Nowell

Chapel Hill, NC

Although love may fail, courtesy should prevail.