[LRflex] Re: Leica R rumours?
- From: "Gary Pinkerton" <gpinkcp@xxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 08:15:11 -0500
Nothing like you guys, but, more gear than I actually have a need for:
R8 x 2
SL
IIIc
Mini II
>From: Douglas Herr <telyt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [LRflex] Re: Leica R rumours?
>Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 05:33:54 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
>
>I'd be curious to see how many of us have multiple Leicas like Alex and
>Douglas.
>
>Mine:
>
>Leicaflex Standard x2
>Leicaflex SL several
>Leicaflex SL2 x2
>Leica R4
>Leica R4sP
>Leica R8/DMR
>
>Doug Herr
>Birdman of Sacramento
>http://www.wildlightphoto.com
>
>-----Original Message-----
> >From: Alex Hurst <corkflor@xxxxxx>
> >Sent: May 31, 2007 4:43 AM
> >To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: [LRflex] Re: Leica R rumours?
> >
> >Douglas wrote in part:
> >
> >>I use almost everything :-)
> >>M2, M6, M4-2, CL, CLE (not quite Leica) IIIG, SL(several), SL2
> >>(several), SL2Mot, R5 and R7, when I have time (usually about 3 to 4
> >>weeks a year).
> >
> >
> >Jaysus, Douglas, you're as bad as me! Last count was:
> >
> >LTM: 1926/27 I converted to III, 1932 Standard, IIIa, IIIf.
> >M: M2 (2), M3, M4-P, M6, CL.
> >R: SL, SL2 (2), R3 MOT.
> >
> >All of these get used in regular rotation, apart from the R3, which I
> >don't get on with. Anyone want a nice R3 MOT plus slightly
> >temperamental winder? Email me off-list - sorry, it's not Friday.
> >
> >
> >>The basic problem for Leica is their existing customer base - this
> >>limits the scope of what they can sell at present, and as I have
> >>mentioned before, is gradually diminishing through age. The demographic
> >>factor is the death sentence for Leica in its present form. Leica needs
> >>a new brand image and identity for a market that has not yet been
> >>confronted with the qualities and charisma of the Leica we all (most of
> >>us over 50 - and with perhaps. at the most, 20 to 30 years of potential
> >>Leica purchasing power ahead of us) know and "love".
> >
> >This is a problem for the LHSA too - there weren't that many
> >youngsters at the Wetzlar meet last year.....
> >
> >>Whether Leica sinks or swims is a matter of brand management and feeding
> >>the market where it's hungry, not where it's more or less saturated.
> >>Leica relies on us for a "professional" view of what Leica tradition
> >>demands and what "conservative" photographers want, what this means when
> >>you get down to the hard facts is, we are a bunch of relatively
> >>"ancient" advisors whose opinions are treasured but only as a guideline
> >>about what NOT to do. Leica's lack of success is based on the fact that
> >>the market has been limited to people like us.
> >
> >Not sure that the sage advice of us ancients is not heeded by Solms.
> >After all, most of us seem to have also embraced digital in some
> >shape or form, so we look forward as well as back. I went the Nikon
> >D200 route, and am very happy I did.
> >
> >Our problem is that we have a significant investment in the past as
> >well as the future of Leica. If they fudge the issue of backward lens
> >compatibility for a new DSLR, then there's little incentive for us to
> >buy a new body. Nikon have addressed this successfully - I can use
> >nearly all my MF Nikon glass on the D200 with focus confirmation and
> >matrix metering, and do so frequently. I hope Leica can emulate them.
> >
> >>It would be interesting to see statistics showing the percentage of
> >>first-time buyers who purchased an M8 - I expect that it tends towards
> >>zero. This is NOT a sound basis for sustainable success.
> >
> >It would indeed. I suspect Leica don't know themselves. OTOH,
> >received wisdom is that the M8 is still flying off the shelves
> >despite its high price, and I can't believe that this is entirely due
> >to the old guard upgrading. If it is, then the future for Leica is
> >indeed as bleak as Douglas implies.
> >
> >>It may be hard for some of us, but for Leica it's a matter of survival
> >>in a predators market.
> >
> >That's why I hope that a new digital R will not be too little too
> >late, as was the case with the 'flexes. R&D is moving at such a pace
> >in the DSLR field that it's going to be very difficult to offer a
> >product from scratch that is even competitive, let alone a
> >market-leader designwise.
> >
> >Best
> >
> >Alex
> >--
> >Alex & Carmel Hurst
> >Waterfall
> >Near Cork
> >Ireland
> >
> >Tel: +353 21 454 3328
> >Mobile: +353 87 245 7048 (A)
> >+353 87 988 9927 (C)
> >
> >email: corkflor@xxxxxx
> >Home Pages: http://www.iol.ie/~corkflor
> >------
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