Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/16

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Leica Photokina products
From: "Lee, Jonathan" <Jonathan.Lee@hrcc.on.ca>
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 15:17:56 -0400

Tom wrote

Why do people on these lists look at the 0 Serie release as a deriliction of
Leica's stewardship over their capital, breaching a duty to us by
misdirecting resources from fantastic new designs we dream of?  If there is
demand for it whether as collectable or nostalgia or art, why
can't Leica fill it?

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The problem with the Leica 0 and other collectibles is not that Leica won't
make money in the short term.  Rather, it causes a long-term diltuion of the
brand-name cachet that is necessary to move expensive goods like Leica
stuff.  For example, in Toronto's only authorized Leica store, the Leica on
prominent display is one of those Ein Struck (sp. ???) M6s in a fabulous
wooden box with red velvet in it. This only serves to remind those waltzing
up to buy a Nikon F5 that Leica isn't a real camera company, its a
commemerative company: its produts being too valauble, too pretty to be
used.  If you make a camera that is never intended to be used, like the
Lecia 0, don't be surprised if people who use expensive cameras don't buy
your camera.   

The fact that a company, any company, must look 70 years backward in time to
produce a profitable product is dissapointing.  You don't catch Hassleblad
selling 1000Fs or Nikon making F-2s again.

Jonathan Lee

Replies: Reply from Dennis Painter <dpainter@bigfoot.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: Leica Photokina products)
Reply from lucien <director@ubi.edu> ([Leica] Leica isn't a real camera company, was: Leica Photokina products)
Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: Leica Photokina products)
Reply from rnkramer@mindspring.com (Re: [Leica] Re: Leica Photokina products)
Reply from Robert Jagitsch <robertj@powerlogix.com> (RE: [Leica] Re: Leica Photokina products)