[Leica] Re: RF / SLR

[jsmith342 at cox.net (Jeffery Smith)]

While I like the MP over the M6, I'm not sure that these latter-day
modifications are enough to sell more rangefinder cameras. The M7 did fill a
niche, but the MP was, to me, their last hurrah in rangefinders...sort of a
"here's the best RF we have ever made...please use it to remember us". I
don't see any more film rangefinders coming out of the Leica camp.

What killed the rangefinder in the first place? The convenience of
autofocus. And when I chat with other members of the New Orleans Photo
Alliance, the 35mm users invariably use digital SLRs. Chris Williams, Dennis
Couvillion, and I are all known as the crackpots with Leicas. I walked into
Dennis Couvillion's gallery opening last Saturday night and got a "what the
hell is that" when they saw a 50/1.2 Hexanon mounted on an M5. As John
suggested, the pros down here don't use 35mm much any more. If they want to
shoot with something portable, it's a Canon SLR or a Nikon SLR with a big
fat zoom on it. Everything else is pretty much medium or large format.

Jeffery Smith
New Orleans, LA
http://www.400tx.com
http://400tx.blogspot.com/



-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of John
Collier
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 11:59 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: RF / SLR


Leica cannot compete with Nikon and Canon period. If they try to,  
they are doomed period.

Quite a few photographers prefer a good quality rangefinder over an  
SLR. I know I do.

Leica makes a good quality film rangefinder and their only hope of  
survival is to make a good quality digital one.

Whether the M8 is that I cannot say.

I have bought a fair amount of Leica equipment new and I do not  
believe I am alone on this list, or in the world for that matter in  
doing so.

John Collier


On 12-Jan-07, at 7:22 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote:

> I think that you miss the point that there are not many of that
> species
> around, at least, not enough to fill Leica's coffers. Even Tina and  
> Harrison
> agree that they would use a M8 in addition to their SLRs, and not  
> replace
> them. Stop looking at it from your narrow point of view, and look  
> at it from
> Leica's point of view. Selling a couple of dozen M8 cameras to  
> members of
> this list will not make much difference in their fortunes. They  
> have to go
> for a broader market, and hence the strategy to make this an iconic,
> fashionable buy. They really have no choice at the price point the  
> M8 is at
> and have to get at least one good year of sales out of the M8 to  
> shore up
> their net worth for the future.  All of us buy so much of our Leica  
> gear
> second hand, that I think that is the only route to take to entice new
> buyers. Buying second hand is good for us, but bad for Leica. My  
> guess is
> that, barring a miracle,  Leica will inevitably end up in a few  
> years as
> third party lens manufacturers - rather as Zeiss is doing now, or some
> Japanese giant will take them over.
> Cheers
> Jayanand
>
>
> On 1/13/07, Steve Unsworth <lug@steveunsworth.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Thank you for saying that George, it's a point many people seem to  
>> miss.
>>
>> On 12/1/07 18:00, "Lottermoser George" <imagist3@mac.com> wrote:
>>
>> > If a photographer wishes to work with a digital range finder camera
>> > the D200 and/or 5D obviously do not fit in their decision.
>> >
>> >
>> > On Jan 11, 2007, at 9:46 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote:
>> >
>> >> I do not
>> >> think that many photographers will spend US$5000 on the M8 when a
>> >> D200 or a
>> >> 5D are available at the price they are.

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