Browse leicareflex: This Month's Archive • Main Archive Page • Related posts • Previous by Date • Next by Date

[LRFlex] Re: Change at the top.

From: "andy Wagner" <yxandy@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 20:50:17 -0500

I think, though I have no proof, that Mr. Coenen may prove a better leader than Hans Peter Cohn. Mr. Cohn is an astute businessman, brought in to restore Leica to fiscal health, a job he has done - or at least has well underway. He now returns to the firm he left, to join Leica.

I agree Mr Cohn did bring Leica back. My question is this comeback sustainable given the present product mix? Somehow I don't see the specialty designs and made to order as a real long term fix.

Mr. Coenen has backgrounds as a machinist and physicist with a Masters in Business Administration, to boot! I cannot think of someone who is better qualified to take the helm of a firm such as Leica.

I agree this is a good thing He does have the right papers

The cooperation with Matsushita (Panasonic, amongst other brands) has, I believe, been very beneficial to Leica. Not only has it brought in money for the design of the lenses, but also a royalty on each one made.

Much more important is the reputation Leica is garnering from this association.

Panasonic cameras are a true mass market product. With the step-up models featuring Leica glass, the message to the public is enormous... the ordinary models are, well, ordinary. The better models are superior because they have Leica glass! This is a message that Leica may wish to preach but could not possibly purchase the necessary advertising to get across. Now, Panasonic does it for them for free!

Again true let's hope this union turns out better than the Leitz/Minolta mess. While I've had very good luck with Panasonic I have read some rather negative stuff with them. Leica should try to attract some of the mass market

And, it's working! Two years ago, if I told someone I had a Leica, they'd often ask if it was as good as a Nikon, or Canon, or Pentax. Not to be offensive, but because they'd never heard of the brand. "Is it any good?" is a fair question.

As an aside to this comment: I once went into a camera store and asked the young clerk if they handled Leica-- His reply "I'm sorry we don't do anything in view cameras" Even some of the younger pro's have never heard of Leica. Very sad when at one time Leica was the epitomy of 35mm

Today, I often have people comment when they see the brand name on the camera. They may not know much, if any thing, about it... but they know it's good, because Panasonic said so!
This may do more to save Leica from extinction more than any other factor.
And our 'friend', Ralf Coenen was the architect of the deal.  :)
If he can pull off the liaison with Imacon (now part of Hasselblad) and Kodak, to produce successful digital versions of both the M and R cameras, he may, indeed, save the company!

Let's hope so

I am, however, saddened by the early reports that because of the distance the displays, etc., stick out the back, that the digi-back for the R8/9 is somewhat awkward to use. That may do it more harm than any amount of superior imaging ability will to do secure it's place in sales history! :(

I would really like to see a camera from Leica that would make the serious amatur and pro drool and feel that they can't live without. As much as I hate to admit it film is going to go the way of the dinosaur. Whlie "the great yellow father" and Fugi have both committed to producing film for the future-- the film labs are taking a serious hit with a mini lab on each corner. As I recall when I started in photography, about a year after the dinosaurs became extinct. Kodachrome slide film was turned around in two days and cost about 1/3 the price of prints. Now E-6 takes a week and costs twice as much as prints. Its only a matter of time and hopefully Leica will be ready


Other opinions?
----------


-----------------  >--
Regards
Andy

_________________________________________________________________ Don?t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

------
Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at:
   www.horizon.bc.ca/~dnr/lrflex.htm
Archives are at:
   www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/

[LRFlex] Re: Change at the top.

Other related posts: