Re: [Leica] Cosina acquires Leica!!!

["Steve Barbour" <kididdoc@home.com>]

OK Ken... today is April 1.......   care to give us more?
- -----   Steve

- -----   kididdoc@home.com
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Iisaka" <ken@iisaka.org>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2001 5:03 PM
Subject: [Leica] Cosina acquires Leica!!!


> Press Release - for Immediate publication
>
> The President of Cosina Co. Ltd., Hirofumi KOBAYASHI and the Chairman of
> Leica Camera AG’s Management Board, Hanns-Peter COHN, jointly
announced the
> acquisition of all of Leica Camera AG's shares and assets by Cosina Co.
Ltd.
> The aquisition was completed on March 31, 2001, and the offer of 15.00
Euro
> per share exceeded the price of 12.50 Euro at which Hermes acquired 30% of
> the share capital of Leica Camera AG, in December, 2000.
>
> Leica Camera AG’s Management Board declares it is a mutually
beneficial
> relationship in which Leica Camera, now a wholly owned subsidiary of
Cosina
> Co. Ltd. would have access to the capital and manufacturing capability of
> Cosina Co. Ltd., and Cosina Co. Ltd., now has access to the rights to use
> the name, Leica, for photographic equipment.
>
> Mr. Kobayashi and Mr. Cohn said, in a joint statement, "The union of two
> companies signifies the cooperation of different worlds, and will forge
the
> brand name, "Leica", as the leader of photographic equipment into the 21st
> century.
>
> Effective immediately, Cosina's line of cameras and lenses compatible with
> Leica will be renamed as "Leica-C" and the current name, Voigtlander will
be
> dropped.  Mr. Kobayashi said in a statement, "The use of the brand name
> Voigtlander was admittedly controversial.  With the acquisition of Leica
> Camera AG, we can put history behind us, and offer Cosina products as
> entry-level Leica products, under the Leica brand name."
>
> In response, Mr. Cohn said in a statement, "The reintroduction of Cosina
> products as entry-level Leica products fill the product line in which
> products offer tremendous quality competitive with other Japanese
products,
> while the current Leica product line will remain as the pinnacle of
> photographic technology.  The owners of the Leica-C equipment can always
> upgrade to the Leica line of products without a significant reinvestment."
>
> Together, Mr. Kobayashi and Mr. Cohn jointly announced new products
bearing
> the name, "Leica-C" as follows:
>
>      R2001 reflex camera body
>      Vario-Elmarit 1:2.5/28-70mm lens for reflex cameras.
>      Vario-Elmarit 1:2.8/14-28mm lens for reflex cameras.
>      Naganon 1:8/10mm rectilinear ultra wide angle lens for Leica
> screwmount, bayonet mount cameras.
>
> Mr. Cohn said, "These are products that Leica Camera AG tried to deliver,
> but was unable to within its capabilities.  With the manufacturing
> facilities of Cosina, we are now able to provide new Leica products
without
> straining the production capabilities in Portugal and Solms.  It's a
win-win
> situation for Cosina and Leica, and the real winner is the Leica user
> community."
>
> In addition, to commemorate the acquisition of Leica Camera AG by Cosina
Co.
> Ltd, Mr. Kobayashi and Mr. Cohn jointly announced a new commemorative
model
> of the rangefinder camera, M6.  The body is pained in the colour of cherry
> blossoms, now in full bloom in Nagano, and the inscription, "Leica" on the
> top place was replaced by the name, "Cosina."  The production is limited
to
> 2001, and will be available through authorised Leica and Cosina dealers
> worldwide.
>
> Leica Camera AG, which originally comes from Optische Werke Ernst
Leitz’s
> photo division founded in 1849, is specialised in very high quality optics
> and cameras. It is famous world-wide, in particular thanks to its
legendary
> Leica M6 camera and its high precision binoculars.
>
> Cosina Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of optical instruments traces its
> origin to Nikoh Co., founded in 1959 as a lens manufacturer.  It has since
> developed into a manufacturer of an extensive line of optical instruments,
> from photographic lenses and LCD projector optics.
>
> Nagano, Japan, April 1, 2001
>
> -----
> Ken Iisaka <first name at last name dot org>
> Still lost in Mill Valley, Marin County, CA.
>
>
>