Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]"Hans-Peter.Lammerich" wrote: > > Right now Leica (and Mr. Cohn) has to realise that the R8 will never ever > recover the r&d investment and, in addition to that, may pull down R lens sales > as well. In the light of the company's limited resources the number of options > are very limited as well: [snip] You know Hans-Peter, maybe all it needs is "think different" marketing; for instance: - -Unlike the R6.2, the R8 has a unique appearance - -It's a deluxe modern manual wind, manual-focus SLR: The Nikon FM lacks it's lavish feel, and the F3's electronics are dated by comparison (and just try using it in automatic mode and dialing in exposure compensation by feel) - -R8 controls are simple and generously proportioned - -Unlike the F5 and other modern cameras, the controls aren't "multimode", so you can work it by feel with greater confidence: Imagine if the shifter in your Porsche also controlled the power windows and heater depending on what mode it was in! It's a silly idea, and yet camera companies are doing just this sort of thing because they find it easier and cheaper to implement features in software rather than adding levers, dials and knobs to the camera. R8 Changes? Well rather than throw away all of that uniqueness, why not reincarnate it as an exceptionally tough camera--the bulk and weight will then seem justified, and think of all the cool advertising photos Leica can publish of bruised-but-not-beaten R8s. This would look really good on a brass camera painted olive green. - -- Jeff Segawa Somewhere in Boulder, Colorado