Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Peter, The number of "special edition" Leica's sold is minuscule compared with their "regular" camera business. Of course it's pure profit as these cameras never return for warranty repair... they are never used. So I have to hand it to Leica for stimulating this profitable sideline. All of the dealers that I know, who bought Einstuck Leicas, still have most of them. This is not exactly a business to sustain a large company. Many of the "special editions" sell originally at a huge discount. It's after they are all sold that their worth increases. This worth is not in any way passed back to Leica. It's simply between collectors. Anyway, there are an awful lot of us that have been using Leica equipment for a hellova long time. I personally do not know a single Leica collector. What I'm saying is that throughout the world, there is one hell of a lot of "real Leica users", who buy "new" equipment, for both amateur and professional use. This is why Leica is successful. They make a camera that is unique and is a workhorse. There are a lot of "real" photographers behind Leica. Leica doesn't compete in the whiz-bang auto everything arena. They don't have to. Leica photographers, typically are photographers that know the photography process and wish to personally control all aspects of the experience. The fact that the "old" stuff is collectable is a feather in Leica's cap. It breeds comradery and dedication. The fact that Leica lenses are as good as you can get helps as well. Leica is alive and well because "real photographers" buy Leicas, and photograph using Leicas. The Einstuck, LHSA, Safari, M6J, etc... are simply frosting on the cake. The cake would be just as good without them. Just because a company is successful and revered enough to be "able" to produce commemorative models, doesn't in any way mean that "this" is their business. It is simply a nice adjunct. Jim At 09:38 PM 2/14/99 -0800, you wrote: >Not always true Jim. Check out their Einestuck (one piece) and various >select models. > >> ---------- >> From: Jim Brick[SMTP:jim@brick.org] >> Reply To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >> Sent: Sunday, February 14, 1999 12:51 PM >> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >> Subject: [Leica] M6 user/collectible! >> >> Peter K. wrote: >> >> > > This is the reason the M is more a collectible than a user >> > camera. >> > >> >> The Ms are nice but in reality little >> >> used today by the great majority of photographers. >> > >> >> With this logic, it is difficult to imagine how Leica stays in business. >> Collectors and people who don't take pictures typically don't buy new >> cameras. The M6 would be history by now if "photographers" didn't buy >> them. >> As with any camera system, there is a percentage of buyers that, for some >> reason or another, never use the equipment. But this cannot be the >> majority. There are enough "photographers" buying new M cameras and lenses >> to fully support that division of Leica. It would be impossible to design >> and produce all of the new M (ASPH and APO) lenses as well as the TTL M6 >> without a viable market. The company, Leica AG, would be long gone if >> "users" did not buy new equipment. >> >> The notion that the M is more a collector than a user, or that the M is >> little used today, is, fortunately, incorrect. >> >> Jim >> >