[Leica] Stefan Daniel interview in Paris

[lluisripollquerol at gmail.com (Lluis Ripoll)]

Thanks Geoff, an interesting interview to remember

cheers
Lluis


El 27/07/2011, a las 2:08, Geoff Hopkinson escribi?:

> For those interested, here is a link to the original in French and a
> refinement of the (Bing's) auto translation to English. Refinement  
> courtesy
> of a fine French photographer ;-)
> http://www.lense.fr/2011/06/28/leica-m9-p-stephan-daniel-nous-dit- 
> tout/
>
>
>
> ................................
>
> Leica M9 - P, Hybrid (VF?) Stephan Daniel tells us everything
>
> .......Like Rolls Royce, Leica is a brand known to all, but  
> practiced by
> few. Today?s quite unique approach, its prestigious history, hard- 
> core fans and
> detractors. The release of the new M9 - P, will not really change it  
> all,
> this new version of the M9 body providing cosmetic changes, at a  
> mighty
> 6000? tag... With already 1500 pre-orders, Leica is a true case.
>
> This news was also an opportunity for the small staff of the German  
> company
> to come to Paris and talk a little. And you will be surprised at their
> outspokenness and honesty meeting issues that often bring up uneasy
> smiles, ready-made
> answers or ?no comment" statements. So we met Stephan Daniel,  
> considered the
> "father" of all digital Leicas. In a small room without fuss and in an
> almost perfect French, he told us about his brand, its current  
> success,
> developed the composite sketch of the Leica?sts and Yes, the future
> home-made hybrid ?
>
> WITH A "P" FOR PURISTS
>
> Stefan, is this M9-P to the M9 what the M8.2 was the M8: a sort of
> mid-cycle upgrade ?
>
> *Yes, a little. But if you compare the change from the M9 to M9-P  
> with that
> from the M8 to the M8.2, it is less substantial. Here only the look  
> and the
> sapphire glass have changed whereas with the M8.2, we had also changed
> frames.*
>
> The rare modifications on this M9-P mean that the M9 works/sells  
> very well
> and that you do not need much to renew its life cycle.
>
> *This is exactly it. The M9 works so well in sales, it is so popular  
> that
> we thought we would invest our development capabilities on the next
> generation and not on working to improve a body which is already  
> very good.*
>
> Can we have an idea of the M9 sales figures?
>
> *I can say you have to go very far back to find such sales. The last  
> time
> that such quantities were sold was in the 1960s.*
>
> It is a little like it is new M6, in short?
>
> *Even the M6 was not selling as many items per year as this body.  
> Here, it
> **rather compares with the M3 or M4 of the time.* (editor?s note:  
> the
> last analog
> Ms sold around 10000 copies a year)
>
> Is the M9 - P a wink to your more traditional clients?
>
> *This was confirmed to me again at last night?s presentation,  
> everyone
> sticks a piece of tape over the logo and the "M9? inscription, why  
> then not
> produce a very classic and sober model?" What is quite funny, is  
> that for a
> half of the customers we could manufacture the the Red Dot to be  
> very large,
> or even luminous, they would **be pleased. But the other half of  
> them would
> not like it. In any case, the two models will live side by side?*
>
> ? And will know chronic ?out of stocks?.
>
> *Our customers are used to this?*
>
> Who are your customers today? The historic success of the M9 means  
> that you
> attract or that you re-attract new clients: the Chinese market? The  
> reflex
> owners seeking a more discreet solution but upscale?
>
> *There are three big trends:*
>
> *1. many M6 and film bodies users now go digital with the M9,*
>
> *2. DSLR users turn to the M9 because it is smaller, more sober and  
> more
> discreet. They do not want be seen throughout the day with a large  
> camera,
> yet they want the image quality.*
>
> *3. there are new markets such as China, where Leica has become a  
> iconic
> brand.*
>
> A bit like Vuitton?
>
> *Yes, like Vuitton or Herm?s? Leica is there ranked there among  
> the "status
> symbols" **as we say in English. How do you say in French?*
>
> A ?signe de r?ussite?, such as a powerful car or a beautiful  
> watch. Does
> the development of the Leica Stores echo this change in customer base?
>
> *In fact we believed in it from the beginning and the concept works  
> well.
> But we could not develop the whole system without a fairly  
> comprehensive
> range of products. With now some PS?s, the X1, the M9 and the S2,  
> there is
> stuff to put on the shelves. (Laughs)*
>
>  AND THE FUTURE LEICA, THEN?
>
> Speaking of a complete range ? Everyone is talking about hybrids,
> many consider
> them the spiritual heirs of the Leica M. Their high-quality, compact,
> modernity, and lens interchangeability, etc. You have closely  
> examined all
> this. What is your position on this today?
>
> * *
>
> *You have hit it right: when I spoke of a complete range, well, in  
> fact it
> is not complete. Because there is a gap between the M9 and X 1. From  
> there
> one can imagine an X 1 with an M bayonet, one can imagine many  
> things ?
> There is a gap, we are well aware of this, and in the mid-term we  
> are going
> to fill it with something below the M and above the X1. And I  
> believe in the
> concept of the hybrids. In fact, we have one with the M. All it  
> lacks is
> liveview, and maybe autofocus.*
>
> Yes, but autofocus is very new at Leica?s, only recently arrived  
> with the
> S2. Is this due to some conservatism in very purist customers, but
> also internally
> among Leica?
>
> *There may have been at a time, but my personal philosophy is that  
> we must
> open. And even if we shouldn't follow each and every market trend,  
> the main
> ones we must **absolutely follow. Otherwise it is a "dead end". We  
> are not
> alone in the world, we do not live on the Moon, and as our feet are  
> on the
> Earth indeed, we must adapt to the major trends of the market, as we  
> adapted
> to the digital. The autofocus is there and it has its advantages.*
>
> And for the history, it is you who have invented it! (Ndr: Leica  
> invented
> the autofocus in the 1970s but sold the patent to Minolta))
>
> *Yes it is still a fine story. (laughs)*
>
> If this is not Leica that releases a hybrid, some day another  
> manufacturer
> will release a compatible body? Fuji could well have released the  
> X100 in M
> mount, since the patent is free
>
> * *
>
> *Yes, a patent normally lasts 20 years, it therefore expired in 74.*
>
> But If you launch a new camera, it will not necessarily be in M  
> mount. Perhaps
> compatible, but if it comes to autofocus it will necessarily be a  
> new mount
> ?
>
> *There are really plenty of options and?*
>
> And you are still weighing them today.
>
> *Exactly.*
>
> The new Leica is therefore not for tomorrow!
>
> *It is not for tomorrow, but if one wants to take a slightly larger  
> share
> of the market, you must offer a body or a system compatible with Mr.  
> Jones?s
> request.*
>
> And are you considering partnerships with other brands?
>
> *(Hesitation)*
>
> ? Or what would this body be 100% "in house"?
>
> *This has not been decided. But even today we have subcontractors and
> partners, **because we can not do everything ourselves. Try to find a
> manufacturer of **screens in Germany! You will not find one. You  
> have to go
> to Asia!*
>
> A partnership with Panasonic already exists, would a Lumix G ? la  
> Leica be
> plausible?
>
> *With regards to Panasonic, we have decided not to join the Micro  
> 4/3.*
>
> Why not a compact micro 4/3 at Leica?s?
>
> *Collaboration with Panasonic works very very well on the Compacts.  
> But on
> the Digilux 3 it worked moderately. And therefore we won?t join the  
> micro
> 4/3. For a small company, the M and S systems require already  
> substantial
> work to maintain and develop. Adding a third mount, for Leica this  
> would be?
> *
>
> It would be heavy. Designing again a whole range of lenses with a  
> special
> mount format ? It can be assumed that this compact would instead  
> come with a
> 3:2 type sensor.
>
> *Yes I think that the APS - C is a good size.*
>
> Yes, an APS - C with a M mount, but may be smaller.
>
> *(No response.) (Laughs)*
>
> In any case, that?s a hefty schedule for you, between this future  
> hybrid
> and M which saturates the assembly lines
>
> * *
>
> Yes for a small company such as Leica, this is something!
>
> LEICA IN THE DIGITAL BEAT
>
> The M9 works very well. The X 1 sells, a future model is in the  
> works? We
> visited the factory in Solms two years ago, which already operated  
> at the
> maximum of its performance. How will you handle all the challenges  
> available
> to an almost artisanal enterprise?
>
> *Currently the plant is at the limit of its capacity, the only thing  
> that
> we can and we **will try to do, is to create two lines (shifts?):  
> one for
> the day and another for the night. But we can obviously ask our  
> employees to
> work fifteen or eighteen hours. They **are tired after eight hours,  
> we are
> consequently hiring more people for the "night **shift". But they  
> need some
> training. Because we can not pick them up on the street and tell  
> them "Well
> you're going to assemble a luxury lens", it does not work. **It is  
> therefore
> very difficult to increase the number of our products. **Because  
> they are
> made by hand, it is a certain impediment.*
>
> It is the price to pay to remain very high.
>
> *Yes. And the demand for lenses shows us that there are many new  
> customers.
> Because existing clients already have their lenses, from the M6 or  
> others,
> so they buy a new body and that's all. But there is a huge demand  
> for the
> lenses. It shows us that there is lot of new clients entering the  
> system.*
>
> And in general the Leica customers are a fairly loyal clientele. Do  
> you
> feel that it will not be brief, that they are not customers who will  
> come
> and leave like that?
>
> *I always say "we have the best customers in the world." Because  
> they are
> very loyal, but when there?s something they do not like, they say  
> it.*
>
> Yes, they are very noisy.
>
> *They speak loudly and I appreciate it very much, because for  
> another brand
> they perhaps will resell and leave without a word. But with Leica as  
> they
> are passionate they say "I don't like that", "This must be  
> improved", which
> makes my life easier, it is "market research" for free!*
>
> To return to the development cycles story, how will things unfold  
> for Leica
> in the medium term? Compared to the pace of film, digital has it in  
> months,
> three years for the most sustainable products. In short, far from  
> the 10 or
> 15 years? lifespan a high range film camera enjoyed.
>
> *Our M6 held for 18 years, which looks surrealistic today.*
>
>  As a result, do you at Leica, rework your entire pace of life?
>
> *Yes, even if we are not full steam competing with our Japanese  
> friends, we
> are nonetheless part of the world of digital photography. Life  
> cycles must
> be respected in the digital world, that?s a fact. Three years is a  
> very good
> life cycle, from the M8 to the M9, it lasted 3 years. And perhaps  
> for the M9
> will last a little longer. But we are well aware that we cannot sell  
> an M9
> for 5-6 years, that?s sure.*
>
> Are you then telling us there will be an M10 at the next Photokina!
>
> *No. comment. (laughs)*
>
> **
>
> *........................................................*
>
>
> Cheers
> Geoff
>
> *Australia, paying for the world's carbon sins, one tonne at a  
> time**.*
>
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