[Leica] Stefan Daniel interview in Paris

[hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson)]

For those interested, here is a link to the original in French and a
refinement of the (Bing's) auto translation to English. Refinement courtesy
of a fine French photographer ;-)
http://www.lense.fr/2011/06/28/leica-m9-p-stephan-daniel-nous-dit-tout/



................................

Leica M9 - P, Hybrid (VF?) Stephan Daniel tells us everything

 .......Like Rolls Royce, Leica is a brand known to all, but practiced by
few. Today?s quite unique approach, its prestigious history, hard-core fans 
and
detractors. The release of the new M9 - P, will not really change it all,
this new version of the M9 body providing cosmetic changes, at a mighty
6000? tag... With already 1500 pre-orders, Leica is a true case.

 This news was also an opportunity for the small staff of the German company
to come to Paris and talk a little. And you will be surprised at their
outspokenness and honesty meeting issues that often bring up uneasy
smiles, ready-made
answers or ?no comment" statements. So we met Stephan Daniel, considered the
"father" of all digital Leicas. In a small room without fuss and in an
almost perfect French, he told us about his brand, its current success,
developed the composite sketch of the Leica?sts and Yes, the future
home-made hybrid ?

 WITH A "P" FOR PURISTS

 Stefan, is this M9-P to the M9 what the M8.2 was the M8: a sort of
mid-cycle upgrade ?

 *Yes, a little. But if you compare the change from the M9 to M9-P with that
from the M8 to the M8.2, it is less substantial. Here only the look and the
sapphire glass have changed whereas with the M8.2, we had also changed
frames.*

 The rare modifications on this M9-P mean that the M9 works/sells very well
and that you do not need much to renew its life cycle.

 *This is exactly it. The M9 works so well in sales, it is so popular that
we thought we would invest our development capabilities on the next
generation and not on working to improve a body which is already very good.*

 Can we have an idea of the M9 sales figures?

 *I can say you have to go very far back to find such sales. The last time
that such quantities were sold was in the 1960s.*

 It is a little like it is new M6, in short?

 *Even the M6 was not selling as many items per year as this body. Here, it
**rather compares with the M3 or M4 of the time.* (editor?s note: the
last analog
Ms sold around 10000 copies a year)

 Is the M9 - P a wink to your more traditional clients?

 *This was confirmed to me again at last night?s presentation, everyone
sticks a piece of tape over the logo and the "M9? inscription, why then not
produce a very classic and sober model?" What is quite funny, is that for a
half of the customers we could manufacture the the Red Dot to be very large,
or even luminous, they would **be pleased. But the other half of them would
not like it. In any case, the two models will live side by side?*

 ? And will know chronic ?out of stocks?.

 *Our customers are used to this?*

 Who are your customers today? The historic success of the M9 means that you
attract or that you re-attract new clients: the Chinese market? The reflex
owners seeking a more discreet solution but upscale?

 *There are three big trends:*

*1. many M6 and film bodies users now go digital with the M9,*

*2. DSLR users turn to the M9 because it is smaller, more sober and more
discreet. They do not want be seen throughout the day with a large camera,
yet they want the image quality.*

*3. there are new markets such as China, where Leica has become a iconic
brand.*

 A bit like Vuitton?

 *Yes, like Vuitton or Herm?s? Leica is there ranked there among the "status
symbols" **as we say in English. How do you say in French?*

 A ?signe de r?ussite?, such as a powerful car or a beautiful watch. Does
the development of the Leica Stores echo this change in customer base?

 *In fact we believed in it from the beginning and the concept works well.
But we could not develop the whole system without a fairly comprehensive
range of products. With now some PS?s, the X1, the M9 and the S2, there is
stuff to put on the shelves. (Laughs)*

  AND THE FUTURE LEICA, THEN?

 Speaking of a complete range ? Everyone is talking about hybrids,
many consider
them the spiritual heirs of the Leica M. Their high-quality, compact,
modernity, and lens interchangeability, etc. You have closely examined all
this. What is your position on this today?

* *

*You have hit it right: when I spoke of a complete range, well, in fact it
is not complete. Because there is a gap between the M9 and X 1. From there
one can imagine an X 1 with an M bayonet, one can imagine many things ?
There is a gap, we are well aware of this, and in the mid-term we are going
to fill it with something below the M and above the X1. And I believe in the
concept of the hybrids. In fact, we have one with the M. All it lacks is
liveview, and maybe autofocus.*

 Yes, but autofocus is very new at Leica?s, only recently arrived with the
S2. Is this due to some conservatism in very purist customers, but
also internally
among Leica?

 *There may have been at a time, but my personal philosophy is that we must
open. And even if we shouldn't follow each and every market trend, the main
ones we must **absolutely follow. Otherwise it is a "dead end". We are not
alone in the world, we do not live on the Moon, and as our feet are on the
Earth indeed, we must adapt to the major trends of the market, as we adapted
to the digital. The autofocus is there and it has its advantages.*

 And for the history, it is you who have invented it! (Ndr: Leica invented
the autofocus in the 1970s but sold the patent to Minolta))

 *Yes it is still a fine story. (laughs)*

 If this is not Leica that releases a hybrid, some day another manufacturer
will release a compatible body? Fuji could well have released the X100 in M
mount, since the patent is free

* *

*Yes, a patent normally lasts 20 years, it therefore expired in 74.*

 But If you launch a new camera, it will not necessarily be in M mount. 
Perhaps
compatible, but if it comes to autofocus it will necessarily be a new mount
?

 *There are really plenty of options and?*

 And you are still weighing them today.

 *Exactly.*

 The new Leica is therefore not for tomorrow!

 *It is not for tomorrow, but if one wants to take a slightly larger share
of the market, you must offer a body or a system compatible with Mr. Jones?s
request.*

 And are you considering partnerships with other brands?

 *(Hesitation)*

 ? Or what would this body be 100% "in house"?

 *This has not been decided. But even today we have subcontractors and
partners, **because we can not do everything ourselves. Try to find a
manufacturer of **screens in Germany! You will not find one. You have to go
to Asia!*

 A partnership with Panasonic already exists, would a Lumix G ? la Leica be
plausible?

 *With regards to Panasonic, we have decided not to join the Micro 4/3.*

 Why not a compact micro 4/3 at Leica?s?

 *Collaboration with Panasonic works very very well on the Compacts. But on
the Digilux 3 it worked moderately. And therefore we won?t join the micro
4/3. For a small company, the M and S systems require already substantial
work to maintain and develop. Adding a third mount, for Leica this would be?
*

 It would be heavy. Designing again a whole range of lenses with a special
mount format ? It can be assumed that this compact would instead come with a
3:2 type sensor.

 *Yes I think that the APS - C is a good size.*

 Yes, an APS - C with a M mount, but may be smaller.

 *(No response.) (Laughs)*

 In any case, that?s a hefty schedule for you, between this future hybrid
and M which saturates the assembly lines

* *

Yes for a small company such as Leica, this is something!

 LEICA IN THE DIGITAL BEAT

 The M9 works very well. The X 1 sells, a future model is in the works? We
visited the factory in Solms two years ago, which already operated at the
maximum of its performance. How will you handle all the challenges available
to an almost artisanal enterprise?

 *Currently the plant is at the limit of its capacity, the only thing that
we can and we **will try to do, is to create two lines (shifts?): one for
the day and another for the night. But we can obviously ask our employees to
work fifteen or eighteen hours. They **are tired after eight hours, we are
consequently hiring more people for the "night **shift". But they need some
training. Because we can not pick them up on the street and tell them "Well
you're going to assemble a luxury lens", it does not work. **It is therefore
very difficult to increase the number of our products. **Because they are
made by hand, it is a certain impediment.*

 It is the price to pay to remain very high.

 *Yes. And the demand for lenses shows us that there are many new customers.
Because existing clients already have their lenses, from the M6 or others,
so they buy a new body and that's all. But there is a huge demand for the
lenses. It shows us that there is lot of new clients entering the system.*

 And in general the Leica customers are a fairly loyal clientele. Do you
feel that it will not be brief, that they are not customers who will come
and leave like that?

 *I always say "we have the best customers in the world." Because they are
very loyal, but when there?s something they do not like, they say it.*

 Yes, they are very noisy.

 *They speak loudly and I appreciate it very much, because for another brand
they perhaps will resell and leave without a word. But with Leica as they
are passionate they say "I don't like that", "This must be improved", which
makes my life easier, it is "market research" for free!*

 To return to the development cycles story, how will things unfold for Leica
in the medium term? Compared to the pace of film, digital has it in months,
three years for the most sustainable products. In short, far from the 10 or
15 years? lifespan a high range film camera enjoyed.

 *Our M6 held for 18 years, which looks surrealistic today.*

  As a result, do you at Leica, rework your entire pace of life?

 *Yes, even if we are not full steam competing with our Japanese friends, we
are nonetheless part of the world of digital photography. Life cycles must
be respected in the digital world, that?s a fact. Three years is a very good
life cycle, from the M8 to the M9, it lasted 3 years. And perhaps for the M9
will last a little longer. But we are well aware that we cannot sell an M9
for 5-6 years, that?s sure.*

 Are you then telling us there will be an M10 at the next Photokina!

 *No. comment. (laughs)*

**

*........................................................*


Cheers
Geoff

*Australia, paying for the world's carbon sins, one tonne at a time**.*