Re: New Leica Grip/New Leica Camera

[Dan Cardish <dcardish@microtec.net>]

At 08:31 PM 23-02-97 -0500, Richard wrote:
[snip]
>I've never been a prophet and haven't used a crystal ball in years (never
>could get it to work) but I think if I were Leitz, I'd release a grip for
>the M camera, see if it went over well and then put together an M body with
>an slightly enlarged right side for the electronics that some people really
>want.  I would be inclined to keep my M6 and buy a new electronic M7 to
>supplement my photography needs.  In fact, since I already have a number of
>M lenses, I would be more apt to buy a new electronic Leica M7 as described
>rather than get started with an R series camera.  I'll bet a lot of M leica
>users feel the same.  Kind of like R6.2 and R8's will have markets
>appealing to two different types of people.
>
>What do you think???  I think I'm onto something.  Maybe Leitz will send me
>a prototype to work with for a while.

You may be on to something, but if so Leica had better be very carefull.
Remember when Coca Cola introduced the new Coke to replace the old stuff.
It was based on market research that indicated that people preferred the new
to the old.  Except that when the new stuff was put on the market, it
flopped.  Coke had to scramble and reintroduce the original cola and call it
'Coke Classic'.  What they didn't count on was that sure, people liked the
new drink in the test markets, but they were never told that if the new
drink were to become available, the original would be cancelled.  The same
might happed with the M7.  People might like the feel of the grip, but might
not want the M6 cancelled and replaced with an almost identical camera with
a permanent grip.  

Of course there's the alternative theory whereby the whole cola fiasco was a
plot by Coke to have two almost identical cola drinks on the market to
compete with Pepsi.  Maybe Leica will come out with an M7, face public
ridicule, and then re-introduce the M6, perhaps calling it the M6-2 (all
part of a plan).   After a few years they will make some minor upgrades and
call it the M6-P......Nahh!

Dan C.

OK, on three, start your spell checkers!