[Leica] Say Hello to Hermes Leica -- THE Photog's FashionStatement

[alal at duke.poly.edu (A. Lal)]

Actually, the Contax/Kyocera cameras are no more.

Friction  between Zeiss and Kyocera QC led to a parting of the ways. Rumor
is  this started when CZ forced K to recall an entire shipment of  N mount
AF lenses because they were not up to CZ standards. Since this has been
brewing for several years it would have made sense for CZ to buy a
controlling interest in a company, e.g. Leica, that could make bodies for
its lenses. Word is that the Japanese factory making Zeiss lenses was closed
down a while ago and all Contax sales are from warehouse stocks.

I believe ZI would have loved to stay in the consumer photo biz, but were
let down by poor management. They had the optical know how and the designs
ready to go, why did they withdraw just as the SLR boom was starting?  Given
the rumored asking prices for the current Cosina based system, I fear
history is likely to repeat itself.

No way would Linhof or Hassy be a good match for Leica- the economies of
scale are just not there unless Linhof or Hassies start to sport Leica
optics.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Filippone" <red735i@earthlink.net>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 8:32 PM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Say Hello to Hermes Leica -- THE Photog's
FashionStatement


> Carl Zeiss has used the yashica / Contax connection to sell SLR lense.
Some
> or most or all of these lenses were licensed to Yashica for manufacture
and
> sale.
>
> As far as I know, it has been probably 40 years since Zeiss had a 35mm
> SLR... and at that there only were 2 bodies ever.. The Contaflex and the
> Contarex.  They have been very involved in the Hasselblad line of lenses,
> and, to a lesser extent,  I believe in the Rollei line of 6x6 lenses.
That
> is it in a manufacturing way for consumer photographic optics..
>
> Personally I think that Leica would be best off with Hasselblad, Sinar,
> Linhof, etc. as a combo partner.  At lleast they are committed to
> photography.  I doubt that Hernmes is interested in photography in its own
> right.
>
> Frank Filippone
> red735i@earthlink.net
>
>