[Leica] URL: WSJ on Leica

[John McMaster]

When it was released the competitors were Hasselblad and Mamiya/PhaseOne - neither are that big a company. The cost of ownership was similar across all three, the S may have been cheaper but with more expensive lenses. It is only since then that the Pentax 645D/Z has been released at a lower cost but the lenses are not in the same league. The S lens range has been expanded far quicker than the Hasselblad H range was and AFAIK the Leica lenses are better in each equivalent focal length....

john

-----Original Message-----

The cost of developing a new product such as the S family, with all the lenses,  is enormous.  They are charging an equally enormous (competitive pricing issue for the same functionality) amount for each item.  

Their competitors are huge ( company to company comparison), charging substantially less for the same functionality, and had  a large established base.  They discount heavily.  They are widely represented in the marketplace.  Leica is none of these.


Frank Filippone
Red735i at verizon.net


ROI is more important than profit and unless you've got some inside information I'm not sure how you've determined it's a marketplace failure.
All I've heard is that it's selling better than expectations, and I would imagine that the target ROI at the expected sales volume would be sufficient.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
http://doug-herr.fineartamerica.com


-----Original Message-----
>From: Frank Filippone <red735i at verizon.net>
>Sent: Mar 14, 2015 11:04 PM
>To: 'Leica Users Group' <lug at leica-users.org>
>Subject: Re: [Leica] URL: WSJ on Leica
>
>I guess I was more focused on .... profits..... rather than optical 
>superiority.....
>
>Frank Filippone
>Red735i at verizon.net
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+red735i=verizon.net at leica-users.org] On 
>Behalf Of John McMaster
>Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2015 10:50 PM
>To: Leica Users Group
>Subject: Re: [Leica] URL: WSJ on Leica
>
>Really? It is regarded by most to have the best lenses available 
>(outside of technical cameras) and beats anything else I have used by a 
>large margin when it comes to results...
>
>john
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.nz at leica-users.org] On 
>Behalf Of Frank Filippone
>Sent: Sunday, 15 March 2015 6:42 p.m.
>To: 'Leica Users Group'
>Subject: Re: [Leica] URL: WSJ on Leica
>
>Spinmeisters......
>
>I still do not believe the S series is or will be other than an 
>expensive marketplace failure..
>
>Frank Filippone
>Red735i at verizon.net
>
>Doesn't say much, but passes a couple of minutes...
>
>http://www.wsj.com/articles/camera-maker-leica-survives-the-digital-shi
>ft-14
>26295228?mod=WSJ_hp_RightTopStories
>
>john
>
>