Re: [Leica] How to support Leica?

[Ruralmopics@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/11/99 10:19:05 AM, MH20793@aol.com writes:

>Seems to me Leica will not improve it's market share by changing the M6
>battery cover... It will however, by introducing new,high quality, innovative
>
>products MORE consumers will want to spend their money on... and by an
>
>aggressive worldwide advertising/marketing campaign. Bottom line is: 
>build a better product, even in a niche market, both technologically  and
>
>quality wise.

Bottom line is that Leica either offers a product that people are willing to 
buy at the price they ask for it or they don't. It seems that for a long time 
they have been doing just that and will likely to continue to do so. Whether 
that is enough to keep them in business is another question. It seems though, 
by now it ought to be obvious that if you are looking for modern 
features/conveniences and state-of-the-art electronics you should look to 
other companies to provide that. 

Personally, I don't own an M6 and don't really desire one. I have an M4-P and 
my next Leica will probably be another M4-P, an M4-2 or an M-4. Someday I'll 
pick up an M3 for the high mag viewfinder. As someone else pointed out Leica 
probably suffers from the fact their old cameras are so similar to their 
current offerings. I'm looking forward to someone else offering the 
M-compatable rangefinder body with modern electronics. Perception and 
experience-wise I would have preferred it be Minolta but if it's Konica, I 
can accept that. To me the main thing attracting me to the Leica M camera is 
the rangefinder/viewfinder -- not the Leica mystique. I don't use Leica SLRs 
and I might not use Leica M bodies if there were an alternative. I suspect, 
though, that my choice will be limited to Leica for some time. I'm a bottom 
feeder. I buy used equipment and if it's a little beat up with a lower price 
as a result, all the better. It may be some time before I can buy a Konica 
body for the $600 I paid for my M4-P.

Leica may survive, and it may not. I would like it to survive. My new 24mm 
ASPH is a testimony to what Leica can and will produce. But in the end, if 
they don't make it as a business it won't be a crisis for me. I'll buy a few 
used bodies and lenses and keep shooting happily for many years to come. I 
know that's heresy and, like I say, I would prefer they made it but really, 
there isn't anything I can do about it -- especially since I'm financially 
unable to pay the sticker price on new Leica equipment. 

Bob (I'll take the crumbs from the Leica master's table) McEowen