Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/29

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Subject: [Leica] Re: (Leica) Lens caps Keeping them: Prices
From: John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 22:49:31 -0700

- ----------------------------------------
 Paul Chefurka wrote:
> 
> Plus, it never ceases to amaze me that people will shell out willingly for
> the cameras and lenses, then look to things like caps and filters to cut
> their costs.  So my gizmo costs a few bucks more than a coupler.
> Even if it did exactly the same things as a coupler, and no more, what's
> an extra $20 in the Leica scheme of things?
> 
 Martin Howard replied:
>
>One manufacturer's
> plastic lens cap is, however, perfectly equivalent to another manufacturer's
> plastic lens cap.  There is absolutely no reason for a Leica lens cap to
> cost three times as much as that of a Canon, Minolta, Olympus, Nikon,
> Cosina, or generic no-name lens cap.
- -----------------------------------------
I am afraid that there is a very good reason why Leica charges so much for a
lens cap. Limited production. I bet the total leica world wide yearly sales
of rear lens caps would not match one busy New York camera store's sales of
C**** rear caps. I work on foreign cars and parts supply is a big problem.
One day one of my co-workers got the idea of contacting a local industrial
arts college about making new air cleaner housings for Sunbeam Tigers (only
about 2500 ever made). After all it is only about 50 cents of pressed sheet
metal. The answer was $15,000 for the first one and 50 cents for every one
after that. When you are feeling hard pressed(oops) and do not want to shell
out "x" dollars for "y" leica part, go see your local machinist/optical
engineer and ask about how much it will cost to make just one. You will,
like me, not only get down on your knees and kiss the feet of your local
leica rep, you will send his child small tokens of your affection. By
(insert your own local deity) we have not even mentioned about distribution!
My local dealer stocks one rear lens cap and sells it every year or so......
Author has now collapsed and is foaming at the mouth..... mumbling something
about advertising costs to sell only 10,000 cameras.....sorry incoherent now

John Collier's Psychiatrist