Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/02/09

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Subject: Re: Leica RF Competitors
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 21:07:39 -0500

At 03:43 PM 2/9/97 -0600, gmrobinson@mmm.com wrote:
>When I was growing up during the 50's, the two top 35 mm cameras were Leica
>and Contax with Retina somewhat behind them.  During the early 60's Carl
>Zeiss gave up the race against Leitz and was soon followed by Kodak.  

Argh.  To storm and struggle against the storms of ignorance.  CARL ZEISS
gave up nothing.  ZEISS IKON -- a totally different company -- switched from
the Contax RF to the Contarex SLR during the period 1958 to 1962.

I've used all three.  All three have merits.  Given the horrid marketing by
German firms, there was only room for one and thus only one survived, the
Leica, and that only because Leica could do nothing else -- Zeiss Ikon made
all sorts of other cameras and Kodak made 99% of its profit from film.  But
Leitz was stuck with the camera as ITS breadwinner, so the camera survived.

Information on the Retina can, of course, be obtained from the noted
authority, Dr David Jentz, <RETINACAM@msn.com>.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!