Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/25

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Subject: [Leica] Re:Panasonic releases the Lumix DMC-L1
From: don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory)
Date: Sun Jun 25 07:52:51 2006
References: <9b678e0606231806p798c63a1rf410c0ac774fdf4f@mail.gmail.com> <C0C36018.124C1%bd@bdcolenphoto.com> <440b792d0606242036o208e5d98o2384cc070d725d4e@mail.gmail.com> <4443-SnapperMsg4EA12C31C0C43CF2@70.194.148.48>

B.D.
Olympus has just released their annual P&L's.  They swung from loss last
year to a profit, but the profit came from the medical business not the
camera business.  If I recall the numbers correctly, the camera division was
down 6.8% from the prior year, even with strong last quarter sales of the
E500.

Don
don.dory@gmail.com


On 6/25/06, B. D. Colen <bdcolen@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> I believe they are making money, but I think - and I have no inside
> information - that they are making a profit, but largely on the point and
> shoots. It's been the general belief of the Japanese camera companies that
> they must have pro lines if they're in the camera biz.
> Glad to hear you're happy with the E1 - it is, as I believe Erwin Puts
> said
> - the Barnack camera of the digital age. :-)
>
>
> ...... Original Message .......
> On Sat, 24 Jun 2006 20:36:39 -0700 mehrdad <msadat@gmail.com> wrote:
> >B.D, it makes sense. that's what is going any other business out
> >there, but olumpus must be making money otherwise they would get out
> >of camera business
> >
> >PS
> >i ended up buying two E1 and E330. the E1 has been absolute joy to
> >use; quite, compact, and with the right lenses very very sharp. i
> >ended up with the 14-54, 7-14, 150/2 and 11-22
> >
> >On 6/24/06, B. D. Colen <bd@bdcolenphoto.com> wrote:
> >> Actually, Don and Mehrdad, this has little to do with film or digital,
> and
> >> everything to do with the reality of modern business practices and
> >> economics. In almost every field, where there used to be many 'little
> guys,"
> >> there are now a handful of giants.
> >>
> >> Consider how many auto manufacturers there were forty years ago, and
> how
> >> many there are now. Did the independents all disappear or get subsumed
> by
> >> the giants because of battery worries, LCD suppliers, software
> engineers, or
> >> cost/quantity problems? I think not - they disappeared because business
> >> today is all about the stock price, not the product; it's about selling
> >> quantity, not quality. So the little guy who turns out a specialty item
> will
> >> be forever teetering on the brink of extinction.
> >>
> >> And by the way, the reason there is still an Olympus today has nothing
> to do
> >> with cameras - it has to do with the fact that Olympus is one of the
> world's
> >> leaders in the medical scope business, and in the manufacture of
> certain
> >> other medical devices - something in excess of 70 percent of the
> colonoscopy
> >> scopes sold in the U.S. are manufactured by Olympus, and 90 percent of
> the
> >> blood analyzers used by hospital and independent blood banks are made
> by
> >> Olympus. The photo business is but the tip of the dog's tail.;-)
> >>
> >>
> >> On 6/23/06 9:06 PM, "Don Dory" <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Mehrdad,
> >> > I think that the difference is that in years past, film was the great
> >> > leveler.  If the lens line was OK then load up some film and away you
> go.
> >> > If you did not have a good lens line then you used the Zeiss/Pentax
> thread
> >> > and no worries.
> >> >
> >> > Today, the camera does everything and you might be dependant on the
> RAW
> >> > converter if the brand turns out to be too obscure.  So, better safe
> than
> >> > sorry and on the way to Nikon/Canon who not only have complete lens
> lines
> >> > but are in no immediate danger of going out of busines like Minolta,
> Konica,
> >> > Olympus in the film business(before B.D. chimes in there were a lot
> of POed
> >> > folks that Olympus got out of the SLR business some time before the
> E-1
> >> > became reality).  Another difference this time around is the
> technology is
> >> > tough; last time around you could buy a copal shutter, hire some
> young
> girls
> >> > to assemble your body and Bob's your uncle.  Now, you have battery
> worries,
> >> > LCD suppliers, software engineers, chip supplies and in what quantity
> and
> >> > what price.
> >> >
> >> > Another factor is we are all much more informed than in years past.
> Forty
> >> > years ago if your local trusted dealer told you to go with the
> Practica,
> >> > Miranda, Exacta, Minolta, Pentacon, or whatever you might go with the
> dealer
> >> > as you didn't know any better.
> >> >
> >> > Don
> >> > don.dory@gmail.com
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On 6/23/06, mehrdad <msadat@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> don how is this different when it was only film?
> >> >>
> >> >> we had a lot more companies, they all thrived and prospered as we
> did
> >> >> with choice
> >> >>
> >> >> On 6/23/06, Don Dory <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >>> Gene,
> >> >>> That is the story throughout most of the world.  Conjecture on my
> part
> >> >> is
> >> >>> that Nikon and Canon especially have reached critical mass for
> DSLR's.
> >> >>> Meaning that a true amateur might end up with a Pentax, Olympus, of
> >> >> Minolta;
> >> >>> but anyone who has done research and wants to fit in(notice the
> logical
> >> >>> argument) would buy anything but Canon or Nikon. Exception to this
> rule
> >> >>> would be the large number of Pentax lovers who will buy the brand
> >> >> because of
> >> >>> lens compatibility, price, size, and feature set.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> So, unless the Alpha and the Olympus new models truly walk on water
> and
> >> >> take
> >> >>> pictures of Aliens and Angeline J's new baby then they will suffer
> the
> >> >> fate
> >> >>> of the Olympus and Minolta SLR's which is abandonment and
> >> >> discontinuation.
> >> >>> Even the Japanese companies will no longer continue a line that
> loses
> >> >> money
> >> >>> in perpetuity.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On the other hand Canon especially and Nikon as well can not build
> their
> >> >>> models fast enough.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Don
> >> >>> don.dory@gmail.com
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On 6/23/06, Grduprey@aol.com <Grduprey@aol.com> wrote:
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> In a message dated 6/21/2006 5:03:14 PM Central Daylight Time,
> >> >>>> bdcolen@comcast.net writes:
> >> >>>> Boy, is that the truth. The B mode is nice to have for macro work,
> or
> >> >>>> perhaps for formal portraiture. But the A, real-time live view is
> what
> >> >>>> makes the E330 special. So all the Panisonic really has is a truly
> >> >> crappy
> >> >>>> viewfinder, analogue controls, and a 'Leica' lens? No wonder
> Olympus
> >> >> was
> >> >>>> willing to license the technology to them. ;-)
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> The really sad thing is our local Oly dealer can't give them
> >> >> away.  But
> >> >>>> the
> >> >>>> D200's and 30D's are flying off the shelves.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Gene
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >> >>>> 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
> >> >>>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> -------------------------------------
> >> >> regards, mehrdad
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> 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
> >>
> >
> >
> >--
> >  -------------------------------------
> >  regards, mehrdad
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Leica Users Group.
> >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> ___
> Sent from handheld device. Please forgive any typos or spelling errors.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

Replies: Reply from bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Re:Panasonic releases the Lumix DMC-L1)
In reply to: Message from don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Re:Panasonic releases the Lumix DMC-L1)
Message from bd at bdcolenphoto.com (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Re:Panasonic releases the Lumix DMC-L1)
Message from msadat at gmail.com (mehrdad) ([Leica] Re:Panasonic releases the Lumix DMC-L1)