Re: [Leica] What I'd like to see.

["Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com>]

From: Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 1999 20:15
Subject: RE: [Leica] What I'd like to see.


> The way I see it, if Leica starts down the road of
> "average consumer products" the marque will be diluted,
> and they'll end up in direct competition with companies
> like Cosina and Konica.  they are ill equipped to do this.

That's what happened to Nikon.  They used to be primarily oriented towards
professionals.  Then, for some inexplicable reason, they felt the need to branch
out into cheap consumer stuff.  This dilutes their reputation and distracts them
from the high-end professional equipment for which they are justifiably
renowned.  Their high-end is still of superb quality, but their low end looks
like all the other stuff--and they do not have the marketeers and spin doctors
that the other vendors do, so they lose in the consumer domain, where their
distinctive competence is far less important than things like price.

Canon is a bit different, since they started out with cheap stuff, as I recall,
and then tried to move into the pro market.  Intensive marketing has allowed
them to make substantial inroads (and some of their equipment is quite good,
too, which helps), but I haven't been fooled thus far.

> My Leica M wish list includes AE (the only change
> I'd like to see in the bodies), recognizing that it would
> need a new (focal plane) shutter.

It would need more than that.  It would require a way to change the aperture
automagically as well, and right now there isn't even a linkage for that.  This
would require a new line of lenses.  You'd also need more batteries, and more
space in the body for electronics and motors (and batteries).

I think you are treading a fine line here.  The more the camera looks like an
SLR, the less reason there is to buy a Leica, since several manufacturers
already market superlative SLRs.

  -- Anthony