Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Jeff Segawa wrote: >"B. D. Colen" wrote: >> >> Rob Schneider pointed out in a recent post that many major manufacturers - >> including Haselblad, Mamiya, etc. - give students steep discounts. To carry >> that idea a step further, if I were "Herr" Cohen, I'd ask my bean counters >> if there is any reason why the company can't offer to sell - AT COST - an M >> body and 50 Summicron to any student majoring in photography in a recognized >> BFA or MFA program. THAT's how to introduce Leica to a new generation of >> photographers, a new generation who otherwise won't ever shoot with anything >> that isn't an autoeverything reflex. But I guarantee you, once these kids >> hold and shoot with an M, they'll sell the VCR to buy additional lenses and, >> eventually, additional bodies. > >I think Leica needs to concentrate on brand recognition and image first! >My observation has been that Leica's brand recognition has been terrible >for some time, and Mr. Cohn seems well aware of it. In any event, the >Leica M may not be an ideal student's camera, because rangefinder-type >cameras may not meet certain class requirements. I'm a 24-year-old planning to go to graduate school in photography. I got a Leica M6 two days ago, my first. I didn't care about Che, tried to think objectively, and tried not to be carried away by Leica's romantic image. I carefully analyzed my photographic requirements, and decided that a well-made camera that encouraged thoughtful photography was the way to go. The biggest turnoff for me in the process of getting one was the attitude of a number of the dealers I spoke to. One dealer refused to show me the camera, claiming that it was a "high-ticket" item that is not usually demoed or displayed. I wonder if he would have given me the same kind of treatment if I had been over 40. Throughout the experience, I don't think any of the four dealers I spoke to were really convinced that I was willing to pay the money for the camera. Today, I walked into another store to look at used lenses. I was basically treated like I didn't know anything about photography just because I still wasn't completely familiar with the operation of my camera. The dealer even said, "That's a lot of camera for someone like you." I'm not sure what he meant by this, but I infer from the statement that he thought I somehow didn't deserve the camera because I didn't know it well enough, and that I'm probably just some spoiled rich kid who got the camera bought for me. In any case, my small sample has showed a clear snobbery by Leica dealers, and an attitude that wasn't particularly open to young people like me who are interested in learning about the Leica M. Marc