[Leica] Re: Ted & Marvin on Canadian Leica

[Leikon35 <Leikon35@aol.com>]

 In a message dated 98-03-10 23:19:00 EST, Ted Grant wrote:
<< 
 Because they are elitists and snobs!  All it proves is they don't really
 know the difference in the first place and put on this big act that any
 piece of Leica gear not manufactured in the Fatherland is inferior.
  When in fact it's a pile of crap!  Each time I see this stuff come up it
 gets me a tad riled as I read what they say as, Canadians are not as good
 at puttiing Leicas together as Germans!
 ted
======================================================
 >>
 Ted, you are phrasing that mildly as Gunther Leitz set up the Midland,
 Ontario plant in 1952 with the full blessing of the the parent in Wetzlar,
 Germany.  You don't hear too much about Gunther as he died young in
 his 50's.  Ernest Leitz had been looking for a plant site in Ontario as well
 as in parts of Quebec & Nova Scotia but picked Midland because of its
 business & living conditions & the sorroundings reminded him of Wetzlar.

 From the very onset every effort was made to produce a product that was
 not only as good as the German but one that the Canadians could be 
 proud of.  In that respect, they not only succeeded but after the stigma
 of not being German was overcome, their lenses in particular became
 much sought after & in many cases still demand a premium price.

 Unfortunately, their IIIf and IIIg cameras didn't sell well and the exchange
 of top-plates is a well known story.  With the advent of the booming Leica
 Market in Japan, things got rough in Midland as the Japanese have always
 had a love affair with German cameras & looked with disdain at the idea of
 their beloved Leica being built anywhere but in Wetzlar.

 In my opinion, it was this Japanese adoration of German Leicas that led to
 a falling market at Midland.  I have posed this question of the Japanese
 feelings towards Leicas (only up to the M4) to Jun Nakajima's fine Leica
 Web Site and received a confirming Japanese answer -- but with the added
 disclaimer that their feeling only applied to Leicas not to automobiles,
which
 the felt that theirs were better.  ;-)
 
 Marvin (maple leaf) Moss