[Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x

[bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)]

But Don, how many people are we talking about? Sure, there are many fans
and collectors - but are we talking 500, 1000, 10,000 - world wide? I'm
sorry, but I can't believe you've personally talked to more than 100
such people - aside from LHSA and the LUG. Most people who own Leicas
are Uncle Ned's. And those who aren't have made their investments, and
are dying off. What did we figure the average age is on the LUG?
50something?

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Don Dory
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 9:19 AM
To: 'Leica Users Group'
Subject: RE: [Leica] Doomed: Leica MP 0.58x


B.D. said:

While Leica acquiring is a disease for some, I would guess - just as you
have guessed - that most Leica owners have a single body and own, at
absolute most, three lenses; I'd guess most owners have one or two. 

Actually, that has not been my experience at all with living people.
Yes, when someone asks about Uncle Ned's old camera he brought back from
Germany, they are only talking about a single camera/lens.

However, I could go on for a very long time about individuals that I
thought on the surface were normal seeming but have quite a few Leicas
stashed away.  Perhaps it is a southern thing and the more frugal
NEasters only have a body and a lens or two.  What is more interesting,
is that these individuals have no interest in selling their cameras or
lenses.

The proverbial story about the SL2 losing so much money that Leica
needed to sell three lenses with every body to break even could have an
interesting twist.  There are a whole bunch of old bodies that might
need new lenses.  C/V has proved that a modest price point we will buy a
few lenses just to try out.  If Leica could ever sort out their
production and both fill demand and lower cost then they might sell more
items.

I guess I am suggesting that some production move to a lower cost of
business location.  Lower price, more product sold, less cost per item
to amortize R&D, lower price yet.

Back to my original rant err slant, if I did a survey of all the non LUG
or LHSA people I know who own and use Leica's, it would probably come
out to three bodies and seven lenses as an average.  The actual break
out would include a LTM, and two M's or alternately an SL, R, and a P&S.
In other words, a wide assortment of camera's purchased over the years.

Don
dorysrus@mindspring.com




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