[Leica] Leica prices

[Jayanand Govindaraj]

 My comment was strictly as an analysis of the marketing and pricing
decisions that Leica makes as a company, based on a lifetime of dissecting
company behaviour and decisions.  As I mentioned there, they seem to be
making all the right BUSINESS decisions - whether it is occupying high
margin niches, or special editions, or re-badging Lumix at a markup - to
ensure the long term survival of the company. IMHO, as I have mentioned
repeatedly, Hats Off to Kaufman & co for their marketing savvy and business
decision making.

The quality of Leica's products, by and large, is not in doubt! Neither is
Rolex and to a lesser extent, Montblanc, to take my previous examples. All
these brands also depend on an emotional response to sell, which is a fact,
whether you like it or not, and however you justify it. Nothing wrong with
that at all, it is the way of the world - and how the Madison Avenue gnomes
subliminally manipulate ALL of us! I have a partiality to IWC mechanical
watches and Japanese lacquer pens, for example, which is to my mind, is an
equally emotional reaction at its core. I accept that, and still buy the
products. Go figure.

Cheers
Jayanand

On Thu, Sep 25, 2014 at 8:36 AM, George Lottermoser <
george.imagist at icloud.com> wrote:

> These points can can only be appreciated by those who actually "get it."
>
> Photographers and Leica naysayers and market analysts will all talk right
> past each other on these particular tools and their features and their
> costs and their usefulness.
>
> Photographers seeking optimum black and white quality, at a relatively
> "reasonable" price when compared to medium format prices, appreciate the
> size, build, ergonomics, image quality and the continued use of all of
> their Leica system components dating back to the original M mount:
> including lenses, Visoflexes, tubes, bellows, etc.
>
> Perhaps one has to be a steady user since 1965 to appreciate the path from
> M2 to M3 to M6 to M6TTL to M8 to M to M Monchrom - 50 years without break
> in using M cameras. All of the lenses still work on the newest bodies. The
> newest lenses work on the oldest bodies. Both bodies and lenses hold their
> value very well.
>
> You either get or you don't.
>
> For this user it has absolutely nothing to do with "jewelry" or
> "collecting" or some other bullshit. It has to do with image quality, build
> quality, ergonomics, how the tool feels in the hands, and accomplishes the
> intentions of the photographer.
>
> a note off the iPad, George
>
> On Sep 24, 2014, at 9:38 PM, John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.nz> wrote:
>
> > Meanwhile, everybody who has bought one realises that it is borderline
> unique in what it offers and are more than happy with the results....
> >
> > When it was announced there were many people thinking it would be an
> expensive flop/un-needed, however when the results were seen it was a
> different matter ;-)
>
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