[Leica] Panasonic takeover

[Joseph Low]

A Panasonic Leica marriage is win win for both - Leica for its optical
prowess - a legend in the photographic community - Panasonic (Lumix) with
its opto electronic technologies would combine nicely with a Leica
partnership

Also - Panasonic is already cooperating with and has Leica license for its
Japan made (China?) lenses - this (marriage) should be more successful than
the short lived fling Leica had with Minolta 

Finally Panasonic has deep pockets to stay the course and perhaps deliver
some competition to Fuji Film - with the new combine

-----Original Message-----
From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+joelct=singnet.com.sg at leica-users.org] On
Behalf Of H&ECummer
Sent: Thursday, 2 April, 2015 10:22
To: lug at leica-users.org
Subject: [Leica] Panasonic takeover

Hi Luggers,

Got this in from a Malaysian friend who works in high tech in Georgetown
Penang, Malaysia.

I think it is an April Fool joke but there is enough reality in it that
there may be some truth behind it;

On March 26th  Panasonic stock jumped 5.7% to 1,614 yen, the highest since
November 2008, after the company said it was ready to spend 1 trillion yen
(US$
8 billion) on acquisitions over the next four years. So far, the Japanese
company is planning to joint venture in Tesla's Gigafactory for the
production of lithium car batteries. They have announced a US$286 million
investment in a solar powered power plant in the Northern Corridor Economic
Region of West Malaysia that has the highest levels of solar irradiation on
the Peninsula.
 
Among smaller value investments, Panasonic is rumoured to be in private
discussions with Blackstone to buy the venture company's 44% share of Leica.
When asked, Panasonic would not confirm or deny offering ACM
Projektentwicklung GmbH (Andreas Kaufmann's holding company) an undisclosed
premium for enough of its 51% in order to take control of the Leica Camera
company. If successful in its acquisition of majority control, Panasonic
plans to limit digital M camera production in Germany and move new lines to
Japan. There, in addition to some digital M production, a new line of
digital EVF cameras would be produced with M mount AF lenses based on
Panasonic's advanced AF technology.
M Lens design and production for manual lenses would remain in Germany. The
new M EVF camera / AF lens line would draw on the superior lens design
expertise from Germany and be manufactured exclusively in Japan. This would
allow the latest Japanese technology to be introduced to the Leica digital
lineup and stringent Japanese quality control standards would be applied.
These details were provided by a source close to Panasonic who did not want
to be identified due to the sensitivity and timing of on-going discussions.

What do you all think?

Howard.
 

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