[Leica] Article on the Leica Matsushita partnership to produce compact digital cameras

[Cummer Family <cummer@asiaonline.net>]

Hello Luggers
The August 30 edition of the Far Eastern Economic Review has an article by
Charles Bickers in Tokyo on page 30 titled "Snap Revolution" dealing with
the partnership between Leica and Matsushita to develop compact digital
cameras together under the Panasonic brand.
A quote for those Luggers who don't get the FEER:
'"Until now in the digital world, the optics and precision were less
important than the quality of the CCD in the camera," says Gero Furchheim,
director of communications at Leica.'
'It's time for Leica to add its skills or risk missing the digital
revolution' (writes Bickers) who quotes Mr. Furchheim again '" Resolution
is only one of the factors that makes for a good picture, and the number of
pixels only one factor that affects resolution. With resolution no longer
the limiting factor, we can add our optical and precision knowledge to
improve the image further," says Furchheim.'
'The idea of integrating Leica products into a multi-media world might
startle some Leica users, but Furchheim says that while Leica offers
traditional workmanship it has always innovated... Initial cooperation will
be on the compact cameras, but Furchheim says it is not beyond imagination
for the M series to have a digital option, "but only if it produced the
best photographs and the lifecycle of the camera was not compromised."'

Howard Cummer.