Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/08/26

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Subject: [Leica] Leica branded lenses
From: red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone)
Date: Fri Aug 26 21:36:24 2005

Zeiss did make certain Contax RTS lenses.  They also "contracted" the
manufacture to Yashica as well for certain designs.  It is an old story.

What obstacles do you think there is?  It is not a design issue: for pete's
sake, Tamron, Sigma, lots of others were and are able to license or reverse
engineer the mounts and electronic connections.  It is not a quality
manufacture issue... What is left?

Are you referring to a possible customer acceptance issue?  Zeiss has never
been strong in 35mm since the Contax RF camera of the 60's and before.  They
have no market presence outside of maybe the Contax RTS stuff that was
really marketed to the Professional, especially wedding and portrait guys.
Never a big move into Sports or PJ.  ... They were very expensive, but they
were also fully integrated into the camera workings.  Contax Cameras were
generally as stodgy as Leica.  ( The AF model called the AX (?) was
obviously very advanced, but a marketing disaster).  They were hardly
mainstream to get a reputation for their superb glass.  Leica, after 75
years in the business, is certainly manistream and has a reputation for many
years with current photographers.

Zeiss seems not as financially pour as Leica.  That may be why the C/N mount
idea is not a big deal for them.   This whole argument is prededicated on
the need for cash flow and profits.  It is not about market penetration.  If
you are broke, you must do something to preserve your existance.  And Leica
is broke.  ( until Hermes and others bailed them out , again.)

Frank Filippone
red735i@earthlink.net

If Leica making their lenses for N and C cameras is such a good idea I
wonder why Zeiss hasn't done it with the Contax RTS lesnes, which also have
a superb reputation and are being used on Canon digital bodies in preference
to the much more convenient Canon AF-IS-USM-L alphabet soup lenses?  After
all they are no longer making bodies to hang them on.  Could it be they've
faced the same obstacles Leica would face if it were to do this?

Doug Herr



Replies: Reply from msmall at aya.yale.edu (Marc James Small) ([Leica] Leica branded lenses)
In reply to: Message from telyt at earthlink.net (Doug Herr) ([Leica] Leica branded lenses)