Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Douglas, I would like to see a R4-7 size from anybody at this point. If Leica could do it, I think they would own the market. All digital SLRs are much larger than the R4 size. I would not hold my breath at this ppoint. Personnaly I think the R8/9 size is far better than the R4 series, my R 4 is small and hard to use comapred to the R8. Gene -------------- Original message from Douglas Sharp <douglas.sharp@gmx.de>: -------------- > Let's just hope they return to R4-R7 styling and size if/when they > decide to release an R10D. The R8/9 are just too voluminous, even for > my big hands. > IMO, the only way they will get into the market for "real" DSLRs will be > with a full frame (12 or more mP) sensor enabling the use of existing > R-lenses as they were intended to be used. Focus confirmation for manual > lenses, and AF with a new series of lenses is perhaps a little too much > to hope for. > Knowing Leica's past record, they would probably put in a terribly > complicated hybrid system to switch a full size sensor to 4/3 and use > existing/planned 4/3 lenses too :-) > Douglas > > Howard Cummer wrote: > > I think Leica (Steven Lee) is very aware that the company needs to > > broaden its customer base. They have teamed up with Panasonic and > > indirectly with Olympus to design lenses for the 4/3rd system and to > > market a series of Luxes based on the cooperation between Leica and > > Panasonic. I learned at Photokina that the agreement between Leica and > > Panasonic has been extended for another five years so that should > > continue to be a source of a greater variety of product and hopefully > > a widening customer base. Leica hopes that M8's will start showing up > > in the camera bags of the pros again as film M's used to in addition > > to the Cankon SLRs in the old days of film. If the pros have kept > > their old film M's and lenses I think there is a good possibility > > Leica may be right about sales to Pros. The hard nut to crack is new > > rangefinder users. Coming to an M8 plus new Leica lenses is just too > > expensive if you are not already addicted to the rangefinder shooting > > experience. And, of course, there is the question of the R series. The > > digital R back is just a stop gap, in my view, while Leica gains time > > to develop an integrated digital R body. Hopefully the Sinar purchase > > will provide a source of expertise in this regard. And regarding R > > lenses they can be used on the 4/3rd system with an adaptor and with > > good focusing results using the magnified LCD screen. Of course, the > > decisive moment becomes very theoretical due to the time it takes to > > fiddle with the focus. In sum, my impression is that Leica is moving > > forward on several fronts and hopefully enough cash flow / even profit > > will be generated to get them to a more financially stable place than > > they have been. Certainly the success of the M8 is crucial to that but > > is not the only success required. > > Howard > > (Back in Hong Kong jet lag subsiding) > > > > > > > > On 8 Oct 2006, at 6:14 AM, lug-request@leica-users.org wrote: > > > >> Message: 25 > >> Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2006 14:33:52 -0700 > >> From: Richard > >> Subject: Re: [Leica] An American Yankee in Herr Leitz' Court > >> To: Leica Users Group , Leica Users Group > >> > >> Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.2.20061007143129.084eb9f8@192.168.100.42> > >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed > >> > >> Nah, you don't need to attract 100% of the new customers to buy a M7 > >> or M8, > >> you only need to attract large number of customers to buy the "cheaper" > >> d-luxes, c-luxes, etc. and if 10% and 20% of the new customers buy > >> the M7 > >> or M8, then might be sufficient. > >> > >> At 02:21 PM 10/7/2006, Nathan Wajsman wrote: > >> > >>> John, > >>> > >>> I agree that the M8 is an excellent product, based on the reports we > >>> have > >>> seen here on the list and on my own fondling of it at Photokina last > >>> weekend. I am speaking purely from a marketing point of view: the > >>> LHSA/LUG > >>> crowd is simply not big enough to sustain the company. The challenge > >>> is to > >>> get new customers, people who have not previously used Leica. > >>> Whether they > >>> will be able to do that at the price point they currently are at is > >>> another matter. > >>> > >>> Nathan > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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