Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 04:50 PM 9/18/00 +0200, you wrote: >"Lee, Jonathan" wrote: > >> But you miss the point that marketing missteps, which I believe the Leica O >> is, will have an impact on the company as a whole and will affect the >> ability of Leica to invest more in the continuous improvement of the >> rangefinder camera and the design of newer, better (lighter?!)lenses. Every >> $ that went into the Leica O, form its marketing, design to manufacturing >> process, is a $ that has been taken away from other aspects of Leica camera. > >Jonathan, > Buy building specialized products, such as the Millennium, the 0, any "set" that has special stamped/finished parts, is simply extra money in Leica's pocket. It does not take any extra effort to stamp "50 year" or some other commemorative insignia on a camera body, or paint a lens green, or black, or even design a special camera. But the net profit increase between manufacturing cost and selling cost is 2x, 3x, 4x what it normally is for the same parts without special stamps and paint. And that's where it ends. Money in Leica's pocket as these cameras/lenses are rarely used and therefore "never" come back in for warranty service. They do "not" have to be supported. What a deal. Sell the stuff at exorbitant prices and never see it again. Win, win, win. Money, money, money. Allows them to design and make the 90 APO ASPH, the 28/2, and other world class lenses that we all want, buy, and use. Keep going Leica. Keep making that special stuff for all them folks with too much money and too much time. From my point of view, they're responsible for my having a 35/1.4 ASPH and a 24/2.8 ASPH, not to mention my 75/1.4 which would probably have been dropped from the line-up long ago to save money. Jim