RE: [Leica] SLR Revolution

["Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" <peterk@lucent.com>]

Marc,

You are right in part, but add to the reasons for the Nikon F's popularity
the fact that it offered a modular design!  It had interchangeable
viewfinders, focusing screens and a motor drive.  These are the things the
pros went for and the fact that the Nikkor lenses had a very good rep at the
time.

Peter K

- -----Original Message-----
Marc James Small wrote:

edited....


So, why DID the Nikon F boom?  Simply put, the Nikon F was introduced at
the prime time for SLR's (only the East Germans had been selling them
before this) and it offered something no German firm ever considered --
grand support for professionals.  If your Leica or Contarex broke and you
called New York, you'd be greeted with the mystic lodge-words of the
British Car Mechanic ("Gee, I've never heard of THAT happening before!")
and a lot of sympathy.  Send it in, and we'll look at it.  After you pay
for the repairs, it will be six weeks.  Compare this to Nikon:  a pro on a
shoot has his Nikon camera go bad, and he calls Nikon.  They will arrange
for him to borrow a replacement from the nearest stocking camera store.
Want to try our new lenses?  Here, let us lend you one for a week.  24/7
service (at one point, early on, Joel Ehrenreich (sp?) even gave out his
home phone number).

THAT made the difference.  A solid, reliable, camera with a HEFTY price tag
(second highest in the trade!) but with a really solid lens line, backed by
a growing and aggressive support network.  Pros switched in droves, and who
can blame them?  They moved from less expensive systems to Nikon due to the
supportive, warm and understanding attitude of Nikon as much as from the
(unquestioned) quality of the gear.