Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/04/09

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Love/hate
From: lucien <director@ubi.edu>
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 20:08:53 +0200

LRZeitlin@aol.com wrote:

>  If Nikon and
> Canon can sell high quality 50mm F1.8 or F2.0 lenses for approximately $100
> then the ten times greater price of a similar Leica lens represents a
> marketing decision rather than the actual cost basis.

Larry,

If so, why is it so hard for Leica Camera AG to be profitable ?
Why is it possible to sell second hand a Summicron 50/2 for 6 times more than its
Nikkor counterpart new.
And don't say it's because of the collectors, they don't collect the latest
version of that lens.

When I compare a Nikon 50/1,8 with a Leica R or M 50/2 I can understand
immediately why the price is not the same.
The only thing similar is the focal length.

Now, when I had the new Konica 50/2 in my hands for the first time last week, it
was a little bit more difficult.

;-)

More seriously, we don't know the price of that lens because for the moment
Konica is selling it only together with the camera.

A marketing policy that I don't understand by the way.

The day I will buy a Konica RF, it will be camera alone, or I will never do it.
They can also keep that electronic flash they want us to buy with it.


Lucien