Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/06/28

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Subject: [Leica] Thoughts on the ZI rangefinder
From: don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory)
Date: Tue Jun 28 19:06:41 2005

I am not so sure that the Zeiss offering will do all that well.  The
Konica RF was and is a pretty good rangefinder with a much better than
average rangefinder and good ergonomics.  Build quality was also
nothing to complain about.  Yet this camera did not succeed in the
marketplace.

The Zeiss offering is going to be a dressed up Bessa, I am not sure
you can dress up a Bessa enough to get 2.5 to 3 times the price.  If
the rangefinder works well with parallax correction in the close range
that the lenses allow for then that might compensate for a percieved
lack of build quality.

I guess my gut feeling is that for the most part, Leicas are luxury
goods.  In this market niche you don't win by saying I'm almost as
good and I cost less.  Price becomes much less an issue than quality,
choice, and being best in class.  B.D. is correct when he comments
that for most users, you don't need the quality of the Leica product
to create a pleasing image.  Who really needs a camera that has a
design life in excess of fifty years?  But that is the illogic of the
luxury market: how many conversations have we had on the LUG about
watches, pens, cars, Scotch, and other luxury goods?  We all remember
the number or responses, and we are a fairly typical slice of Leica
life.

Personnally, I hope the Zeiss offering is a success as  that will
drive a good rangefinder digital body sooner rather than later.

0.02

Don
don.dory@gmail.com


Replies: Reply from mccluney at sbcglobal.net (Gene E. McCluney) ([Leica] Thoughts on the ZI rangefinder)