[Leica] Lost Faith in Leica

[jonathan at openhealth.org (Jonathan Borden)]

Jeffery Smith wrote:

> Is Leitz more interested in medical optics, microscopes, etc.? If Leica
> is just a side interest, then it's probably seen as more of a liability
> than an asset.

Leitz split up long ago (with the Wild takeover/spinoff I believe) into 
medical, geosystems and photography -- see www.leica.com.


> I got my stomach scoped last month with a Pentax optical
> thing they stuck down my esophagus. I'm beginning to pay more attention
> to what the optical companies are doing for REAL money these days. With
> so many professional 35mm users going with Canon and digital, I can't
> blame Leitz for not wanting to pour R&D money into the photography
> division.

Well Bausch and Lomb long ago gave up photography for contact lenses, 
so yes...

Leica camera was spun off long ago.
Perhaps that is what will happen to Ilford's film division ... a 
smaller company that can live on reduced sales.
>
> The Leicas that are being produced now (MP and M7) are as good as it
> gets in rangefinders. They don't need to be better. And my Leicas will
> live way longer than I will (I'll bet your digital won't). And that's
> what *really* matters. ;-)
>
That is a factor, but perhaps what really matters is something akin to 
the fact that although artificial diamonds can be made of a higher 
quality than natural diamonds, the 'real thing' still commands a 
premium as created by the DeBeer's marketing machine. Leica exists 
because of its brand name.

Now of course the demise of Apple computer has been predicted many 
times over many years, but yet I am still using one.

Jonathan