Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/06/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I think B.D. hit the nail on the head- getting"a meaningful image". After taking a class in the History of Photography I came away with that conclusion. The photogs were not using the equip that we have available- and they made impressive images. Stasys On Jun 13, 2005, at 7:22 AM, B. D. Colen wrote: > As to the comments about the company and its future and direction - > > > What is really funny about the latest pronouncement from Mt. Puts is > that > it's simply a repeat of what a few of us have been saying on the LUG > for the > past 2-5 years. But of course when it's said by people on the list, > it's > negative bull shit; when it's said by Erwin Puts, it's perceived > wisdom. :-) > -------- > > As to the comments about the Canon lenses - > It's not that photographers won't "notice," it's that real > photographers > know it just doesn't matter - what matters is getting a meaningful > image, > not the technical accomplishment of getting the woof and weave in the > pants > someone in the shot is wearing. And that's true even if one is shooting > birds or bats or flowers - unless one is doing the shooting as part of > scientific research. ;-) > > On 6/13/05 2:03 AM, "Scott McLoughlin" <scott@adrenaline.com> wrote: > >> Some interesting takeaways. >> >> Canon lenses are ok, but not nearly up to Leica snuff. Many photogs >> "won't notice." In any case, Canon's current R&D is oriented toward >> IS zooms where even more design compromises are the norm. >> >> Good PR is really important to sell products these days. The tech >> driven companies got it, and the traditional chemistry companies >> don't. Rings true with me. >> >> Leica has lacked imagination over the last 5 years. Has (had) a >> chance to closely identify their product with the tradition of B&W >> film photography but so far has failed to gain/increase significant >> mindshare in the market. Sounds right to me. >> >> Focus on collectors and historically driven buyers alienates shooter >> oriented potential customers. Rings very, very true to my ears. >> >> Digital will require partnerships because Leica doens't have enough >> money to completely roll their own digital solutions (duh). They >> haven't managed the existing partnerships well, in terms of >> disitinguishing >> their products from the partner's. >> >> OK. All makes sense. >> >> -1- Cheaper 135 format film camera. Little smaller, polycarb. A few >> polycarb build Summicrons. This is to help strengthen Leica's >> mindshare >> amoung the "traditional B&W film" crowd. Get new customers, and get >> some of the used buyers to buy new. Also a good backup body. Smaller >> appeals to the Leica III and CL crowd too. It's all good. >> >> -2- Keep making the nice traditional M's to satisfy whatever >> marketshare is >> out there. These things are art :-) Same for flagship build lenses. >> Keep >> building the best. But body R&D comes out of the digi group. >> >> -3- APS-C Digi M. Just gotta get one out the darn door. Please make >> one >> that's sturdy polycarb and doesn't cost $6K for a friggin 6-8MP >> sensor, >> when every snot nose consumer will have their eye on 10MP in just a >> few years. Again, make it a little smaller than a current M7. Make a >> few >> "special edition" traditional build digi M's to keep the collectors >> happy >> and critics otherwise at bay. >> >> -4- Make a wide Tri Elmar - W3E to work on the digi M APS sensor. >> >> -5- Make an APS-C CM-D. Really nice 28/2 lens or thereabouts (rough >> 40-42mm equiv.). Nice fast fixed lens, small APS-C sensor P&S with >> great >> high ISO performace. Zippo shutter lag. I'd buy one of these. >> >> -6- License a few decent flash units, at least one smaller bounce head >> unit that works with the TTL on the CM-D and digi-M. >> >> -7- Hire a good PR and advertising firm in key markets. Sell the damn >> things to new customers (yes, still a niche). Creepy LFI bable be >> damned. >> Small, best quality, candids, B&W film standard bearer, best optics >> now >> available in the digital age. The 2nd digital camera everyone wants >> to have >> in their bag (SLR's are going to dominate now and for always, so >> basically >> skip marketing to the RF only shooter). >> >> Give some of the damn things away to notable photogs in exchange for >> adverts. Have a killer Web site - Leica shooters galleries (free), >> software >> updates (free), forums, monthly contests, etc. I like the idea of >> selling some >> nicely priced rebranded Fuji or Ilford B&W products. Makes those B&W >> film shooters feel nice and secure and taken care of. Rebrand Fuji's >> slide processing envelopes for the chrome shooters. >> >> Hell, buy one of the many image editting programs out there, integrate >> RAW processing and make it open source. Solicit end user plugins and >> build an online database. Who knows. >> >> Whatever. Just some ideas. But get modern. You know, get "digital." >> Drop the creepy, stuffy image. No more poorly translated German >> press copy. Hell, if IBM can do it (and they sell some very high >> priced >> products), so can Leica. >> >> There. Plenty of imagination. Distinctive products. Modern. Priced to >> sell, >> but still premium priced compared to Canon/Nikon. Nothing so gradiose >> that >> it requires a Canon/Leica scale of operations. Bold enough moves to >> entice >> new investors. >> >> Now just execute. >> >> Scott >> >> David W. Almy wrote: >> >>> All, >>> >>> http://www.imx.nl/photosite/comments/c012.html >>> http://www.imx.nl/photosite/comments/c013.html >>> >>> The second is of particular interest. >>> >>> David W. Almy >>> Annapolis >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 >