Re: [Leica] What the heck

[Martin Howard <howard.390@osu.edu>]

Dan Cardish wrote:
> 
> Whatever happened to the RE?
> 

Ah, but the RE is not the answer.  It still is built like a Russian tank
and has all the features of the R5, but not P or T exposure modes.  You're
not actually saving much in production, I'm guessing, by simply eliminating
those two features.

The answer is to release an entry level camera that has the metering and
exposure modes of an R8 (spot, centre, matrix?), perhaps foregoing the P
and T modes again (or at least the T mode), but to build it not to military
standards and suitable for deep-space exploration, but to make use of 
modern plastics, composites, etc.

Much like the Aria.  It doesn't compromise on quality, per se, but it does
cut costs and corners in the choices that the designers have made.  That's
what is so nice about it.  It's not a "cheap" entry-level camera in so far
that it lacks useful features or can not be used by serious photogs, but
it is significantly cheaper than the RTS III which is the top-of-the-line
Russian tank in the Contax range.

As I understand it, Leica works to extremely tight tolerances and with very
labour intensive methods.  If they were to produce an entry-level camera
with an $800 price-tag, the way to do it would be to outsource a lot of
the production, use moulding, standard components, etc. and to allow
greater tolerances.  After all, this camera is not one that would be taken
to the Artic region on polar expeditions.

Minolta seems to be able to produce some nice, entry-level cameras (although
they are AF) from the reviews I've been reading lately.  Perhaps it's time
for another partnership?


There.  The armchair-expert has spoken! ;)

M.

- -- 
Martin Howard                     | 
Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU       |    What boots up must come down.
email: howard.390@osu.edu         | 
www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------