[Leica] Leica Days and news about Leica and Konica Rangefinder, etc.

[Larry Kopitnik <kopitnil@marketingcomm.com>]

>I attended the Leica days at C&J Photo in Overland Park, Kansas this
>morning and gleaned a bunch of interesting info.

I was there later in the day, Eric. Sorry I missed you. But by the time I
visited, the proprietor told me he'd sold 3 Noctiluxes during the day.

>First: I played with the new modular system. The 280mm 2.8 head has too
>wide a base. I don't like it. Makes focusing too hard.

I played with the R8, winder and 70-180 f/2.8. Man, do I have respect for
those of you who carry this combination! I'd collapse with that much weight
and bulk hanging from my neck. Just not for me.

Actually, the R8 just isn't for me at all. I don't want to offend those who
use and love the R8, because it's clearly a high quality and highly
capabale photographic machine accepting lenses second to none in optical
quality. But I really, really, really, really disklike how it handles, even
with smaller lenses.

What I really, really, really did like was the M6 HM TTL with Noctilux. I
like the larger shutter speed dial and the new metering indicators in the
finder. This was the first time I'd handled a .86 M6. Big difference (to
me, anyway) with the 50 mm frame lines. This is a combination I'll
eventually own (when I can afford it).

>Another change is that the marketing folks are going to be given the power
>to make the engineers give them what they want. That means engineers can't
>any longer say "That's how we've always done it, and we won't put all that
>fancy new stuff in the cameras." Leica is now going to be more responsive
>to customers wants and needs. They will listen.

This is the greatest news in your post. I work for a large ad agency, one
which stresses first researching and learning about our clients' clients
before developing advertisements. We build a database of customer and
potential customer information and let that (rather than a creative
director's instinct) drive the direction of the ad campaigns.

We stress to our clients that they will succeed in part by looking at the
information we gather then delivering what their customers want in the way
they want it. I don't know that Leica is going to be building databases
(though they'd be wise to do so, if they don't have one already). But,
based on the success I've seen for our clients, a change in Leica culture
to deliver what the customer wants, rather than continuing the way they've
"always done it," bodes better for Leica's future success than anything
else they could do.

>Another thing. There will be a Leica SLR AF camera. No firm date, but they
>were guessing in two years. (Peter, that sets our bet date, no?) Not sure
>who is going to be the partner. The reason? Leica knows that's what the
>market wants, and they're going to get it.

BRAVO! Hopefully I'll like the R9 far better than I like the R8.

>He also
>says that Leica is going to have to update the M6, but the implication I
>got was not incrementally. It's going to have to be a total overhaul. The
>current body just doesn't work for a modern camera of the type people seem
>to want.

BRAVO AGAIN! This says to me that the new management does indeed understand
what it takes for Leica to thrive.

Larry