Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/11/07

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Subject: Re: M5 v M6: conjecture v reality
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 23:47:45 -0600

At 10:11 PM 11/7/97 -0500, you wrote:

>There seems to be a persistent notion that the M5 was a mistake made by
>Leitz.=A0 Could be.=A0 But when did Leitz ever say so?=A0 Seems I've read=
 that it
>wasn't well accepted because of its looks and size.

I will grant you I was wrong on the M5's arm being rugged. But that's not
what you read in lots of places about it.

I read somewhere the reason the M5 was a failure was that in one year, only
1,500 sold. Leica almost closed up their camera production altogether
because of dismal sales of the M5 and SL2 according to one account I read.
Can any of you LHSA members give us an accurate account of Leica's trials
and tribulations of the mid-70s? I remember this account also said that the
revival of the M4 in the M4-2 saved the company. Along with the R3, which
sold in much larger numbers than the SL2 was when it was discontinued.
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO
http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

It's never too late to have a happy childhood.