RE: [Leica] On the Nikon S3

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

First, I do not own any Nikon rangefinders, and don't plan on acquiring
any - I'm happy with my Leicas...However...
keep in mind the fact that the S3-SP series of cameras is a piece with its
own feel, and its own history. There certainly were and are those
photographers who feel that the SP may in fact have been  the best
rangefinder body produced in the age of rangefinders......We're not talking
here about comparing a Ferrari and a Ford Mustang, or a Ferrari and a Mazda
Miata...What we may be talking about is a Ferrari and a Mazaratti (forgive
my spelling)...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Simon Lamb
> Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 10:03 AM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] On the Nikon S3
>
>
> Ah but Larry, we Leica owner think with our hearts as well as our heads.
> Ain't nothing like holding a Leica.  Sure, Nikon could outsell
> Leica on any
> camera system they care to build, but I liken this to owning a Ferrari.
> There are not many around, there are cheaper cars just as fast, but owning
> the Ferrari is just a better feeling.  Same with Leica IMHO.
>
> There is always a market for cheaper (popularly priced) goods,
> but there are
> always those willing to pay for quality, feeling, history, etc.  We may be
> belssed by being able to afford such goods but, as long as people like us
> exist then companies like Leica, Ferrari etc. will continue to survive.
> They may not become giants like Nikon and General Motors, but they will
> survive.
>
> Simon
>
> Larry Kopitnik wrote:
>
> > >Some different scenarios on the S3 could get to be the case:
> >
> > You've overlooked one scenario, the one I think most likely. The S3
> > proves popular enough that Nikon introduces a popularly-priced
> > rangefinder camera using the same lens mount as the S3, and a line of
> > lenses to support it. Those lenses, of course, would be useable on
> > the S3 as well.
> >
> > Consider how the numbers reported here on the LUG -- that Nikon has
> > orders for over 7000 S3s at $5500 each, and may manufacture as many
> > as 8000 of them -- compare to Leica M sales (I'm assuming the Nikon
> > numbers are accurate which, let's note, we do not know as a fact).
> >
> > 7000 Nikons x $5500 each = $38,500,000.00. If they make and sell 8000
> > S3s, the total becomes $44,000,000.00. Leica's financial report
> > (downloadable as a pdf document from their web site) lists DM
> > 83,791,000.00 in M system sales last year. According to an on-line
> > currency conversion calculator, those DM translate into
> > $38,383,334.56.
> >
> > The Nikon numbers are (I believe) retail price and include dealer
> > mark-up, whereas the Leica numbers are strictly Solm's income. So
> > this isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. But it does demonstrate
> > that, if the Nikon sales figures are correct, with a single
> > rangefinder body and a single rangefinder lens Nikon may be
> > generating income close to (or possibly even greater than) what Leica
> > generated last year with the entire M system.
> >
> > If I were running Nikon and looking at figures like these, I'd sure
> > be contemplating more rangefinder cameras and lenses.
> >
> > Larry
> >
>
>