Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well - if the most important thing Leica needs to do right now is to make profit, it is not easy for them to make a decent profit with low-price low-profit model. How many first-camera buyers are going to buy a Leica anyway? I´d say that the ones who will buy a Konica or a Cosina RF will aspire to a Leica and if they like RF photography they will buy a Leica in the end. The experiment with the CL (and with CLE and R-E, too) has shown that the concept of entry-level Leica is not feasible. All the best! Raimo photos at http://personal.inet.fi/private/raimo.korhonen - -----Alkuperäinen viesti----- Lähettäjä: Stephen Gandy <leicanikon@earthlink.net> Vastaanottaja: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Päivä: 20. tammikuuta 2000 5:20 Aihe: Re: [Leica] Questions for Steve AND Erwin re new rangefinders >> Now, Steve, this is a deceptively-simple one: >> >> What is an affordable entry-level Leica? You mentioned this in reference to >> the planned M-mount Cosina. The M6 is a pretty basic camera, feature wise, >> and I am curious as to how you would strip it down. >> >> Cheers >> Dante > >My belief is that a Bessa M body selling for $600-$700 will substantially effect >M6 sales by taking away many first time buyers. as well as sales from present M >owners looking for a 2nd body. > >To be competitive, an entry level M need not match the Bessa's price, but neither >can it be substantially more -- the first timer's will only pay so much for that >little red button. I would place the entry level M at $250 more than the >average retail Bessa M price -- whatever that ends up being. > >I would not try to sell a meterless M6 as entry level. This product would >probably fly and develop its own niche with experienced users, but not with the >Leica newbies. > >In order to keep meet the price target, and not alienate M6TTL buyers who pay the >full pop, I think the only solution is a new entry level body. An entry level M >does not have to focus 135's. Perhaps it would be a good time to bring out a >CL2. A new small compact M would be lower priced, and offer definite choices to >the buyer between a CL2 and a M6. > >The entry level M could be sold to the newbie with "Would you rather buy a >COSINA or a real Leica for only $250 more?" The experienced M user would have >it all figured out, and just go for it. > >Stephen Gandy >M6 Repair Researcher >