Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/08/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Aug 12, 2007, at 9:25 AM, Hoppy wrote: > Mark, a fun but perceptive post. No question that the Japanese > giants seek to add the German premium quality perception to their > marketing. Who knows how much money changes hands in these > arrangements? Maybe the M line is largely a flagship product. > Personally > I really hope that is not so. I'm shocked, shocked to learn that Leica elves in Wetzlar do not make all Leica branded products. In my photo closet I have a "Leica" Digilux by Fuji, a "Leica" 90 mm lens by Wollensak, a "Leica CL" by Minolta, a "Leica" meter by Gossen. My wife has a "Leica" Digilux by Panasonic. Naturally Leica permitted all these companies to put the Leica name on their products out of pure altruism. But does putting a German premium optical name on a consumer product do any good? My nephew, who manages a Best Buy store in Plano, Texas says no. Most people buying consumer grade digital cameras know the names, Sony, Panasonic, and Canon. That's what they ask for. They couldn't care less about those sausage sounding German brand names of a photo generation long past. Leica, Zeiss, and Schneider labels may lend a product credibility to photographers of a certain age but real photographers don't buy P&S digitals. It's like GM putting the name Dusenberg on a Chevrolet. Who would believe it? More important, who cares? Larry Z