[Leica] RE: Marc Talusan story

["Lee, Jonathan" <Jonathan.Lee@hrcc.on.ca>]

Marc,

My experience with the local (official) Leica dealer in Toronto, Vistek, is
the same. I was really appalled by the service I got there.  I'm 35 and I
have always thoguht that I look like I could afford a Leica but judging from
my experience with multiple Vistek salespeople I guess I don't.  Not only
wouldn't they show me an M6, but they only begrudgingly got me a price from
their computer!

The only revenge that I got was wearing an M6 with Summicron into Vistek,
whereupon three sales guys actually tripped overthemsleves trying to get to
me!

Jonathan Lee

- -----Original Message-----
From: Francis Barista Sembiring [mailto:semb0001@tc.umn.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 6:57 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Leica Users digest V13 #26


Folks,

I second Marc Talusan story. The same thing happened to me.
Just because we are young and in-experience student does not mean we are not
made
for Leica.
I think these dealers (I am not saying all of them) should be more
encouraging to
younger people.

Francis

Marc Talusan wrote:

> >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