Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/12/21

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Unbelievable
From: Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie)
Date: Sun Dec 21 04:00:53 2008
References: <200812192238.mBJMcWqP029064@server1.waverley.reid.org> <BLU121-DS680A361B7374EA7F19661D4F10@phx.gbl> <494CF6E0.1060702@mcclary.net> <3cad89990812200645r3d5745faoe0e434bdf47904df@mail.gmail.com> <494D6085.5040900@mcclary.net> <9580F7DA-99F6-42FC-9C56-C8A90FA624F2@mac.com> <494D7A5B.9080308@mcclary.net> <7ac27f4f0812201532o4eaa24a7y6efb7ac8566b5f52@mail.gmail.com> <CD51426A-1309-42CE-91AE-4A158BD8975A@btinternet.com> <3cad89990812202353t69a667d3m6e167e70c71ebe80@mail.gmail.com>

I think the key issue is the manufacturing cost against sales volume  
relationship. I think that if there was a sufficient demand for a less  
expensive M rangefinder the Epson RD1 would have been a huge success,  
that's all.
I certainly agree that the economic climate will not be kind to the S2.
cheers,
Frank

On 21 Dec, 2008, at 07:53, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote:

> Frank,
> Are you saying the demand for the M8 is price inelastic? My view is  
> that it
> may well be today, in the present economic climate, but at  
> introduction,
> when the Leica cachet would have sold easily, a lower price would have
> translated into a larger installed base by now. I really hope that  
> the S2
> system does well, considering the recession in the midst of which it  
> will be
> born...
> Cheers
> Jayanand
>
> On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 12:47 PM, Frank Dernie
> <Frank.Dernie@btinternet.com>wrote:
>
>> My opinion is that the market is so small for a digi-rangefinder  
>> that none
>> will ever fly off the shelves. If the sales had been good enough to  
>> pay for
>> the development of the camera and a bit of profit the service would  
>> have
>> been good and there would have been RD2 and RD3 by now. Cosina/ 
>> Voigtlander
>> would have continued if Epson did not.
>> IMO the opinion that the M8 is overpriced profiteering is mistaken.  
>> At the
>> market size for such a product the volume they produce will always  
>> be tiny
>> and the tooling and R&D costs have to be amortised over a few  
>> units. It
>> could well be a loss leader to sell more lenses :-)
>> Frank
>>
>>
>>
>> On 20 Dec, 2008, at 23:32, Richard Man wrote:
>>
>> The alignment problem is exaggerated. It was very easy to fix by  
>> oneself.
>>> If
>>> they price is at $1500 to $2000, it may have flown off the shelves.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 3:06 PM, Harrison McClary  
>>> <lists@mcclary.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> If it had not had all the problems I read about then I'd have  
>>> gotten one.
>>>> But the stories about poor rangefinder alignment, and things like  
>>>> that
>>>> kept
>>>> me away...also it was not exactly in the category I was taking  
>>>> about, if
>>>> I
>>>> remember it was around 3 grand new.  They are still 1500 used or  
>>>> so...I'd
>>>> rather save a few more pennies and get a used M8 with all I have  
>>>> hear
>>>> about
>>>> the RD1.  Now had the RD1 been a decent camera with good customer
>>>> support...that'd have made a difference to me.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> // richard m: richard @imagecraft.com
>>> // b: http://richardfman.wordpress.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


In reply to: Message from leicar at q.com (Aram Langhans) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from lists at mcclary.net (Harrison McClary) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from lists at mcclary.net (Harrison McClary) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (Lottermoser George) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from lists at mcclary.net (Harrison McClary) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from richard.lists at gmail.com (Richard Man) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)
Message from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Re: Unbelievable)