Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/07/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Frank, as a matter of interest - and not totally irrelevant to this discussion - was the ratio always so? I thought that one of the reasons that contributed to the impact of rear-engined cars in the US in the 60s was cost. Peter Dzwig Frank Dernie wrote: > BD, > I am an engineer with a reasonable knowledge of manufacturing processes > and costs. The main reason for the high cost of Leica items is that > their market is so small. Canon can recover the design and tooling costs > of a lens over probably hundreds more units than Leica can. > To put this in perspective a good quality road car production cost is > about $4000, a Champ car (Indy car) about $400,000 and a Formula 1 > (World Championship) car about $25,000,000. There is a considerable > technological difference but the main reasons for these vast difference > in costs are the quantity of units over which engineering and tooling > costs are amortised. > Leica lenses are sold in too few numbers to be inexpensive without > bankrupting the company. And you have to pay a premium for the brand, > like cars :-) > Frank > > > On 13 Jul, 2004, at 19:39, B. D. Colen wrote: > >> There is no question that the M and Rs are extremely well built - the Ms >> are probably the best built modern cameras. And the lenses have no peers >> in terms of build quality. However...Is the build quality of an MP five >> times better than that of a Bessa R2? I don't think so. Much better? >> Absolutely! Twice as good? Not a doubt. Three times as good? Probably? >> But five times better? I seriously doubt it - and yet the MP is five >> times the price. Is the build quality of the old Summilux 50 almost five >> times better than that of the Cosina Nokton 50 1.5? No chance in hell. >> Twice as good? Even that's a stretch, but I'll grant that. Image >> quality? It's pretty much a dead heat. Yet the Summilux cost almost five >> times as much. Why? The red dot. >> >> Is the DigiII 33 % better built, or does it produce 33% better images >> than the Panasonic version of the same camera? How could it possibly - >> it's the same damn camera but black and without a red dot. >> >> Leica equipment is stellar - but please don't tell me you're not paying >> a huge premium for the name and red dot. :-) >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org >> [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of >> Peterson Arthur G NSSC >> Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 12:13 PM >> To: 'Leica Users Group' >> Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Digital M >> >> >> >> I do not think the prices of Leica cameras and lenses are not >> "reasonable." They are built like no others, and the prices are >> "reasonable" for what you get. You can buy many Toyotas, or even >> several very fine Mercedes Benzes, for the price of a single >> Rolls-Royce. >> >> Art Peterson >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Felix Lopez de Maturana [mailto:fmaturana@euskalnet.net] >> Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 11:51 >> To: lug@leica-users.org >> Subject: [Leica] Re: Digital M >> >> >>> I don't know that I call fine-tuning lenses innovative, David. Yes, >>> they produce stunning lenses; absolutely no question about it. But the >>> reality is that Canon also produces some stunning lenses, and even >>> Nikon produces a few. ;-) There's nothing really "innovative" about it. >> >> >>> Now, if they found a way to produce stunning lenses at far lower cost, >>> that would be innovative. ;-) >> >> >> May be the problem of Leica is that, probably due to the size and >> management of the company, Leica cannot achieve the production of >> stunning lenses not at a lower cost, this may be mathematically >> impossible, but at a reasonable price. A "standard" lens like the new >> 50mm ASPH is merely out of reason at the price is offered. I can buy two >> excellent Canon L lenses for this price. Probably a problem of efficacy >> of the company that will disappear if this situation remains. >> >> Felix >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >