Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/07/18

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To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: Leica's USA price list
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@cdsnet.net>
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 06:01:28 -0700

At 12:58 AM 7/18/96 -0400, you wrote:

>First, Kyocera was hardly 'started' to build cameras:  it is a rather

I thought we already covered this area. Yes, it is probably the world's
premier ceramics producer. I meant the "new" Contax line, back in the 70s
was started up by Kyocera at the request of Zeiss.

>preliminaries.  Zeiss next worked with Yashica, and the Contax RTS resulted.
>When Yashica -- for reasons not directly connected to their Contax line --
>went bankrupt, Kyocera bought them out, and the present arrangement was born.

Didn't know this part. Interesting.

>Second, Zeiss still owns the Contax name and licenses its use by Kyocera.
>This is per Blake Zeigler, among others.

Right, I don't know what I was thinking by getting it backwards.

>Third, all lenses are designed at Oberkochen and initial production on
>almost all lenses is there.  Manufacture is shifted to Japan once the lens
>becomes an accepted part of the system.

Yes, Zeiss designs. Mostly manufactured in Japan. Except the special order
ones like I mentioned, including the night lens.

>Fourth, all final inspections on Kyocera-produced gear bearing the Zeiss

Yep. Glad you cleared it up.

===================
Eric Welch
Grants Pass (OR) Daily Courier
NPPA Region 11 JIB chair

Diplomacy: Say nice doggie until you find a *BIG* stick