[Leica] survival of Leica as a company

[Summicron1@aol.com]

OK, here's some real heresy: Who gives a crap if Leica, as a company, does 
fail and goes out of existence?

I am probably part of the problem here. As I think about it, the last time I 
bought anything new from Leica was two years ago when I bought an eyepiece 
diopter adjuster for my M-3, and I promptly lost it. Before that, I bought my 
R-3 new, and then a 135 mm lens, also new. This was about 17 years ago. Both 
the R3 and 135 mm lens were affordable for me because they had been 
discontinued by Leitz and I got them cheap.

Since then, the only Leica cameras I really care about are the ones I own, 
and I have every expectation that they will stay operable, usable and lovable 
for a very long time.

The existence of the company that made them, while nice, does not effect me. 

Why should it? Car collector/users don't care if the Stutz company is still 
in business, or the Stanley. I shoot stereo, and the fact that the White 
Company (maker of the Realist) has been defunct for a couple decades doesn't 
hinder me in the least. 
I can still buy cameras, still have them serviced, still shoot with them. As 
long as enough people share the hobby, even stereo mounts will always be 
available.

Graflex went under 30 years ago, but I just bought a new lens for my Graflex 
XL (OK< used) and it is a very fine camera that will give me years of service 
if I don't drop it out of an airplane or something.

So, really. Unless you are one of those people who absolutely MUST have the 
newest camera gadgets, what does it matter if the company that made your 
present equipment is still around? Is there something wrong with it that 
makes it unusable to you and makes you demand the company come out with 
updates? If so, why did you buy it?  You should have waited until they did 
make what you wanted. But you never seem to be happy.

It's fun to speculate, but Leica will rise or fall depending on myriads of 
market forces, many of which we are probably not even aware of.  When/if it 
does, users of its equipment will mourn, but they won't stop shooting.

Certainly not me. The M3 in my bag will go on, and on, and on.

And this gives me peace.

charlie trentelman
ogden, utah