Re: [Leica] 35-70/2.8 out of production ???

[John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>]

This has been a very interesting thread and I was fascinated to learn that
total production was around two or three hundred units. It has given me new
insight into the difficulties that Leica faces when designing new product.
As a counter point the Tamron 28mm to 200mm zoom has sold over a million
units, is made of plastic (some of the elements as well!) and sells for
around $250 to $300. Leica has to recoup all its design, testing, tooling,
production, distribution and advertising costs from 300 units! No wonder the
price is (if you can find it) $3300! Now many of you are upset that Leica
did not make more of the lenses in its initial production run. Let us say
that they made 400 and were thus able to offer it at $2900 and only 320 sold
in the first two years. The last 80 would dribble out over an extended
period and most likely have to be discounted as well. Profit? None. Some are
upset that they do not do another production run right away. This would mean
they would have to take production away from other lenses. They know they
can sell as many of the new M90AA as they can make, the M50 and M35
summicrons are their bread and butter lenses and they have to gear up for
production of whatever they will be announcing at Photokina 2000. They would
have to do another run of at least two or three hundred to make it
economical and have no reason to believe it will sell out. Heck, I would not
do it. Especially as we all know the R line has not been making money for
the last few years. I agree with the way Leica has handled the situation. If
they had done just another fifty, we might not even have noticed they were
in short supply, and, if that extra fifty had not sold, they might have lost
money.

John Collier