Re: Light, portable camera, Rollei Prego? A Con?

[Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@apple.com>]

I, for one, would sincerely hope that anyone going out to spend $300-400
on a camera, regardless of the name on the box, would compare it to other 
cameras of its type and choose the one that they felt was satisfying
to them. Whether the Leica name added sufficient value, or the quality
of the identical Panasonic proved that they were smart shoppers ...
it's irrelevant. Vote with your actions and your wallet, be satisfied
with what you purchase. 

Are we being conned? Is a Leica M really worth $4000? I personally doubt
it. It sure says Leica on it, it sure is a nice camera, but in terms of 
functionality there are plenty of cameras selling for an eighth the 
money that will produce indistinguishable results. Was my Rollei 35 
Classic 
Platinum worth $2000? Certainly not in any functional sense ... the 35S 
which I already owned produces identical quality pictures, is almost 
literally 
the same camera, cost me $350. Yet I felt the Classic Platinum was worth 
the 
expense and am satisfied with the purchase, even if it left my bank 
account
dead and smoking.

These things are not so cut and dry as it would seem. Satisfaction is
a very malleable concept.

Godfrey

>I'm sorry if my point wasn't clear.  You snipped out "looks like a con to
>me," which was, I guess, what I really wanted to say, and Leica has been
>nearly as guilty as Rollei.  When you have a camera that's got a high-grade
>name on it (including a name like "Schneider" on the lens) that's seemingly
>identical to another camera with a low grade name on it (without a
>"Schneider" on the lens), you have to wonder, especially when they sell the
>camera with the prestige name for 2 or 3 times the price of the other one.
>This list contains some people who will buy anything with a European name on
>it in preference to anything with an oriental name on it, and it seems to me
>they are getting deceived here.  Does anyone believe that the Rollei Pregos
>have lenses (or anything else) different from their Samsung counterparts
>(good as they may be)?
>
>One note for clarification: I don't care if a product labeled "Leica" is
>made somewhere other than Germany, though there are others here who
>obviously do.  What I care about is the quality, and that I'm not getting
>ripped off.  I'm getting ripped off if I buy a camera labeled "Leica" or
>"Rollei" at a premium price that's identical to a cheaper one (though of
>course the cheaper one, and the Leica/Rollei, might be good).