Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/01/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Seth Rosner wrote: > > I do not know the source of the anger at Leica that > is on this list every > day and whatever the source, I do not understand it. > This is a company that > has delivered absolutely world-class products to > photographers for 80 years, > is under financial pressure because its design, > development and product > policies - make the best product you can with the > greatest quality, > longevity, flexibility and continuity and price it > to make a fair profit - > are inconsistent with today's business mode - make a > cheap, "good-enough" > product, design into the product immediate > obsolescence so that buyers are > compelled in one or two years to throw away the > product and replace it with > another based upon the same premise. > > Is Leica struggling with this scenario? Of course. > Today's commercial world > is not consistent with the philosophy that has > enabled us to have 50 + > year-old cameras and lenses that today continue to > function as they did when > they were new and to produce world-class images. > > If you divide the cost of my new M4 & DR Summicron > outfit in 1967 ($400.) by > the number of years it has worked wonderfully for me > and given me great > pleasure in its use, the annual cost is a hair over > $10. If you divide the > cost of the obsolescent products marketed today by > their lifespans - planned > from inception - it will be in the thousands of > dollars per year. Which is > "cheaper"? > > I believe that Leica Camera will succeed because I > believe that there are a > sufficient number of buyers who care about having > the finest gear that can > be made, not merely "good-enough" to sell. But if > Leica Camera does not > succeed, it will be a business tragedy and one more > nail in the coffin of > quality. > Bravo, and thank you for that, Seth. Spoken/written like a leader of the Leica community you have clearly earned the right to become. "Illegitimi non carborundum." Emanuel ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca