Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/26

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Subject: [Leica] Leica participation in 4/3rds format
From: scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)
Date: Sun Feb 26 10:06:36 2006
References: <C0274FA4.CE54%bdcolen@comcast.net>

Well, I'm no collector, actually.  I'd love to see a less expensive
M with (gasp!) a polycarb body, yada yada yada.

I understand what *Panasonic* is doing here. I just don't
understand what Leica's strategy is here.  Again, not disagree -
just don't understand, per the specific questions in my previous
email.

Some folks on this thread have expressed a desire for some
fast Leica primes. That would be great!  But who will make
them? Manual or AF? Not against outsourcing, but what
about QC?  What's the build going to be? Passport warranty? 
Does this "kit lens" in the picture have Passport warranty? If
not, will some Leica 4/3 lenses have Passport, but other
ones will not?  Hmmm, confusing. What's the pricing? Blah
blah blah.

I'd *LOVE* to see a Leica that's BFC (better, faster, cheaper)
than their competition in a sustainable market segment, and
not just relying on past glory and a red dot logo.

But is that where Leica is going here in this 4/3 market? What
is their value add in this alliance at the present time? Hence my
question whether or not they were making any money on this
deal, or this "alliance," and so on and so forth.

I can imagine a strategy, one that might not excede Leica's
limited resources but still take them somewhere in this 4/3
DSLR space.  Just blue sky, but once I think about it, I'll
float a trial balloon on the list :-)

Scott

B. D. Colen wrote:

>You obviously don't, Scott - "We are Leica and HCB used us" is NOT going to
>sell enough cameras to keep the company afloat - frankly, not enough camera
>buyers have ever heard of HCB. ;-) "Fun" may sell cameras, and as Leica is a
>capitalist enterprise, theoretically in business to make money, they should
>be marketing the cameras to SELL them, not make members of the Leica
>historical society happy. Ask whether the camera's any good, not whether the
>ad copy conjures up images of long-dead photographers and the age of film.
>:-)
>
>
>On 2/26/06 12:18 PM, "Scott McLoughlin" <scott@adrenaline.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
>> From the release:
>>
>>"...operated much like a traditional film camera but provides a variety
>>of innovative
>>features that increase the fun of shooting photos."
>>
>>Increaes the fun? What, does it have some LCD games built in?
>>
>>This is the kind of marketing language (and product? dunno) with which
>>Leica
>>should be associated?
>>
>>It's a little surreal to me.  I certainly hope Leica is getting paid
>>very handsomely
>>for all of this.  If not, and I were the COB, I'd fire the CEO, gut the
>>business
>>development and marketing departments and start over again.
>>
>>I just don't get it.
>>
>>Scott
>>
>>pwerner@bluewin.ch wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>More details on the new camera can be found here:
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>http://www.letsgodigital.org/html/review/panasonic/lumix_dmcl1/slr_camera.htm>>
>l
>  
>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>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
>  
>

-- 
Pics @ http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps
Leica M6TTL, Bessa R, Nikon FM3a, Nikon D70, Rollei AFM35
(Jihad Sigint NSA FBI Patriot Act)



Replies: Reply from melnyk at msu.edu (Steven A. Melnyk) ([Leica] Leica participation in 4/3rds format)
Reply from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] Leica participation in 4/3rds format)
In reply to: Message from bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Leica participation in 4/3rds format)