Re: [Leica] Hexar RF/M7

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

From: A.H.SCHMIDT <horsts@primus.com.au>
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 1999 13:15
Subject: Re: [Leica] Hexar RF/M7


> Jeff, who said anything about discontinuing the M6. Not
> me. What I said was to produce some additional types of
> range finder cameras.

I suspect that Leica does not have the financial resources to undertake the
manufacture of new camera systems while maintaining the existing systems.  Where
would the initial capital required for these actions come from?

> The relatively few leica users are are just not enough
> to feed the share holders.

Then new Leica customers must be found.

> They want the automatic features. They may be not the
> Leica user you desire, but they are the people who in the
> end put the money on the table to buy a camera.

Nikon and Canon build excellent cameras with plenty of automatic features.
There is no way way that Leica could compete with them on the same turf.

You pointed out, however, that your acquaintances knew little of Leica.  Perhaps
if Leica were better known to more photographers, a larger number of them would
choose the Leica M system as it exists today, in a market niche where it is
unchalleneged.

> Now if they had a prestige name camera they could operate
> and they didn't need to sell the house, to afford it, I am
> sure, quite a few would invest in a Leica. If only to show off.

I doubt it.  A lot of people just don't care about names that much.  Nikon and
Canon would blow Leica away in the high-tech world, and there would really be no
reason to buy Leica's competing model.  Look at the success (or rather the lack
of success) of Leica SLRs to date.

> I predict: " Either leica goes with the trend, and develops
> in addition to the M6 types of cameras, something more electronic
> and automatic, they will go under."

Then Leica is doomed.  The company does not have the resources to design and
build cameras that will truly compete with the high-end Nikon and Canon SLRs at
price points that people will find attractive.  When a company has limited
resources, it is really very foolish to try to compete with the giants of other
markets in which it has no experience.  A company should build on its strengths,
not on its weaknesses, _especially_ when it cannot afford to fail.

> Also no reasonable size company can exist on just not
> making losses. They'll have to grow every financial year.

Why?

  -- Anthony