Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Bud: I am not sure your analogy works! First, we are talking about a Japanese camera with a 3 year warrantee not an American camera with a 6 month warrantee. Second, when you factor in the cost of insurance and maintenance / repairs owning a Mercedes it's quite expensive! Third, Mercedes has actually made technology improvements over the years. . .cruse control, power windows, air bags. . .Leica has done very little. Let's face it- Leica has obviously amortized the design/tooling cost of the camera by now and makes a simple marketing choice to keep the price high. So be it. . .it's a great camera. . .but it is priced higher not because it cost more to produce but because they want the price high to keep the appearance of greatness, which is also fine. The release of all the collector edition is just an extension of this philosophy. The sad part is that it does limit the ability of the average college student interested in photography or just the average Joe with a family from having the ability to utilize and enjoy an M6 and 3-4 lenses. Although to their credit, Leica does offer a buy program of their loaner camera's at around $1,000 at some colleges. The price is artificially kept high as a direct result of Leica's marketing program which is focused at people with money or who are paid very well . Your average photographer (AP) or whatever is not is this financial group . But this is the marketing choice of the Leica Company. Understand that they could charge much less and still make a good profit but they choose not to. Al Stegmeyer Al Stegmeyer - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bud Cook" <budcook@attglobal.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Monday, May 22, 2000 10:12 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] Thanks!! OT Contax G2: Cost > Most people make the mistake of looking at what something costs to buy > rather than what something costs to own. That's why people buy new > American cars every few years rather than buying a Mercedes which gives you > an option about deciding just how many decades you want to drive it. > > The same thing applies to Leicas (at least those that I've bought). I've > wasted very little money on Leicas but I've spent a bundle on Nikon gear and > it's all gone. > > Bud > > >