Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well if performance is no factor then why not stay with the existing cosina lenses like their 15mm,or put a sublime old 15 mm on a R? simon ----- Original Message ----- From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:10 AM Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: New Zeiss Ikon > But that's the point, Simon - I'm not talking about "performance" of > anything; I'm talking about availability of, and price of, product. And > if Leica thinks the path to survival lays through winning a bunch of > Erwin Puts bench tests by .xxx%, they're dead on arrival. Fractions of > percentages aren't going to matter - actually having a product will. If > Leica can now turn on a dime and put out a real digital M six months > from now - BEFORE Zeiss comes out with one - and price it so that it > appeals to more than a handful of people for whom money is no object, > then they have a chance. If not... > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of > animal > Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 5:54 PM > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: New Zeiss Ikon > > > As you mentioned earlier i think ,nothing is known about the real > performance of the new system. Isn,t it a bit premature to anounce a > winner before a match? best regards simon jessurun amsterdam > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> > To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> > Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 10:53 PM > Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: New Zeiss Ikon > > > > IF that's Leica's response to an entire line of new Zeiss t-star > > lenses, a film rangefinder body, and what will undoubtedly be a > > digital body, then we most assuredly have the answer to the question. > > Because if Leica survives as the Hermes of cameraland, it might as > > well not survive. > > > > And there's another point to think about here, folks - Leica is still > > around today for only one reason: > > > > In the early 1960s, Zeiss/Contax and Nikon abandoned the > > pro-rangefinder playing field. Nikon, which made what was definitely > > the best body at that time - the SP - decided to put all its eggs in > > the SLR basket, a decision which was a loss for those of us who love > > rangefinders, but was obviously a winner for Nikon. And Contax must > > have decided that there wasn't going to be enough rangefinder business > > > to keep them going. > > > > So that left the barren playing field to Leica, which, other than > > improving it's lens line, hasn't done anything truly innovative since > > bringing out and abandoning the M5. And, when you think about it, > > really hasn't done anything innovative since the "O." > > > > But because there have been enough photographers committed to using > > rangefinders, and enough dilitants committed to owning Leicas - and a > > scarf company willing to buy up a grand old brand name - Leica's > > limped along to the present day. > > > > Now, however, we are on the downward slope of the technology range > > taking us into the next age of photography. Any company that wants to > > survive in the new age is going to have to be a real part of that age. > > > And up to this point, Leica has, as usual, limped along at the back > > end of the parade. > > > > So this time Zeiss - well the Zeiss/Kyocera/Hassleblad/Contax > > coalition > > - has decided to stick around and pickup the pieces. Unless Leica is > > prepared to move, and move very quickly - perhaps by talking Nikon, > > Canon, or Olympus into a rangefinder partnership, Leica's days are, > > sadly, very much numbered. I say "sadly" with total sincerity, because > I > > am enough of a traditionalist to be touched by the Leica heritage - > I'd > > rather be shooting in a new age with a grandchild of HCB's M3s, than > > shooting with a Kocerstein's monster patched together with parts from > a > > washing machine, a high-milage care, and a disposable camera. :-) > > > > B. D. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org > > [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf > > Of Dan C > > Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 4:33 PM > > To: Leica Users Group > > Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: New Zeiss Ikon > > > > > > Leica has responded in part by offering the a la carte Leica. But > > have you > > seen the prices? Do I really want to spend upwards of $4,000 USD > for > > the > > privilege of picking the colour of my camera? Are there enough people > > > out there willing to do so to keep Leica afloat? > > > > -dan c. > > > > At 04:26 PM 29-09-04 -0400, B. D. Colen wrote: > > >Emanuel says.. > > >"The old era of Zeiss - Leitz rivalry was a heady time > > >for 35mm design," and asks... > > > > > >"Now, in these days, how will Leica respond?" > > > > > >--- > > >As they, sadly, always have ... With too little, too late, and at too > > > >high a price. > > > > > >These are not the heady days of the Zeiss/Leitz competition - which, > > >if > > > > >we recall, were actually the days of the Zeiss/Leitz/Nikon > > >competition. > > >;-) > > > > > >These are the days of the Zeiss/Kyocera/Cosina/Hassie consortium > > >moving > > > > >in to clean up the remaining scraps from the rangefinder table - > > >scraps > > > > >that could have been Leicas had Leica moved 18 months ago, or even > > >further back, when the Cosina handwriting was writ large upon the > > >wall. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information