Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Feli di Giorgio wrote: > Leica may simply be out of parts or they built too good a mousetrap. > When was the last time you saw a Leica M that actually died from over > use? That still didn't stop them from selling 16,000 M7s last year. And it still doesn't justify alienating a hitherto largely fanatically loyal customer base, by cutting off third-party service. OK, so we don't tattoo the red roundel on our arms (do we?) but when I got back into photography a few years ago, I bought an M3 because I knew I could always get it competently fixed should I need to without it costing more than the camera itself. I later bought an M2, for the same reason, which indeed did need to go to Sherry. And when I sold my M3, I used the money to finance a new M6TTL. If independent repair people had not been available, I would have chosen a different marque, because Leica ownership would have been prohibitively expensive. I don't think that my story is atypical of how many people end up using Leica rangefinders. And having built the best mousetrap still wouldn't stop them from offering a diversified product portfolio, which a cheaper, entry-level camera (and perhaps lenses too). But of course, they're Leica, so they can't do that, which meant that Cosina could step in and clean up that end of the market. Imagine if Leica had developed and sold the $500 "R2" three years ago, instead of that whole stupid Null Series thing. It'd be a whole different ballgame. The couple of grand or so that I've dropped on NEW Cosina products would have ended up on Leica's balance sheet, with a clear progression toward the more exotic and expensive stuff. Maybe Cosina will buy out Leica -- just like Fiat bought out Ferrari. M. - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html