Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] A rant on Leica marketing
From: khmiska <khmiska@umich.edu>
Date: Sat, 02 Sep 2000 11:25:08 -0400
References: <200009021502.LAA17973@saruman.wizard.net>

Bryant,
You hit the nail on the head. One of my passions is Märklin trains and there the
same mentality pervades. Lots of MBAs who have never indulged in the model railroad
hobby  or played with trains. Just as there's the LUG, there's the MML, Märklin
Mailing List. I don't think for one minute that the bozos heading up Märklin ever
read the traffic on the MML. If they did, they wouldn't be offering some of the
idiotic products they do. So, LUGers, you're not alone. But, that's business, I
suppose.
Kurt
Ann Arbor

Bryant wrote:

> Hi Luggers,
>
>     <Warning: Rant follows:>
>
>     Jim Brick wrote:
>
> > The problem with designers and manufacturers, and especially the marketing
> > staff, is that they don't use their own equipment in any manner other than
> > as a very casual user. Happysnaps.
>
>     Bingo.  A .58 M, a digital camera, and an APS?  The latter 2 are just
> relabels of Fuji stuff, right?  Not to knock Fuji.  Their binoculars are
> second to none!
>
>     One of the things I like about Leica Ms is their extremely "snappy"
> focusing, as opposed to an SLR's  "least fuzz".  The 0.58 gives the least
> snappy focusing of any Leica M to date, about the same as an LTM Leica.  I
> find the M3 easiest to use of all the Ms, because of it's almost life sized
> viewing.
>
>     I'll wait for a 4000x6000 digital back for my M, thank you.
>
>     APS?  Another expensive flop.  Phil Greenspun has a good rant about it:
>
>     www.photo.net/photo/aps
>
>     Leica apparently hires expensive MBAs who know lots about sales and nothing
> about photography.  The MBAs commission market surveys and the surveyors
> wander out to shopping malls across the world and talk to housewives who want
> everything done for them in any endeavor you mention.  Thus APS and digital
> cameras.  Something that I won't even think of buying.
>
>     It should be remembered that Oscar Barnack was an enthusiastic
> photographer as well as being a brilliant designer.  Herr Cohn would do well
> to staff his organization with enthusiastic photographers.  He could even try to
> read the LUG, although this is asking a log of a CEO, imagine, actually using a
> computer as opposed to chairing a meeting?
>
>    He's learn lots more of what's on the minds of real Leica owners!
>
>    <End of Rant>
>
>    Tom
>
> Statistics in the hands of a marketing executive are like a lamppost to
> a drunk: they're used more for support than illumination.

Replies: Reply from "A.H.SCHMIDT" <horsts@primus.com.au> (Re: [Leica] A rant on Leica marketing)
In reply to: Message from Bryant <tbryant@wizard.net> ([Leica] A rant on Leica marketing)