[LRflex] Re: Drop the R?
- From: Douglas Sharp <douglas.sharp@xxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 14:28:28 +0200
Exactly, Doug
they need to broaden their base with "bread and butter" products - C&N
don't live from cameras like the 1DS III (or whatever it's called)
either.
I don't really know what synergies could arise, apart from a marketing
point of view, but trimming their lines down even further is a sure way
to ultimate disaster. They should stop the twinning of Panasonic and
Leica models for a start, get a reputation for justifiable quality/price
on entry level P&S models, new customers will only go for Leicas when
they perceive a quality benefit (added value) for the same price as
other market contenders, or a distinct advantage at a higher price.
Neither of which are currently provided by Leica on the broader market.
Simply the name "Leica" doesn't pull as it used to - I've met people in
the UK who still swear that it's an East German camera brand, strangely
enough , the name "Zeiss" is still equated with photographic quality
there, rather than Leica.
For a small company, Leica is facing a frightening prospect - rebuilding
the brand, regenerating awareness of the brand, recovering a mass of
lost reputation and opening up a whole new, and hopefully profitable
market if they can, and that along with a danger of losing their
traditional users.
I see the M series as a niche product flagship and R (digital) beginning
with a range of competitively priced DSLRs combining prices low enough
to attract ambitious amateurs and quality and features enough to satisfy
pro and semi-pro users - Both Canon and Nikon have already done this
with their Pro-sumer cameras, it's high time Leica moved into this area.
(ie Leica must start at the levels of Canon 400D/40D/5D simultaneously)
This however, means not simply an R10, but rather a DR-1, DR-10, DR-100
or whatever, in various price/features ranges to suit demands. One
single DSLR just won't break into the market (in some respects this is
what is happening to Sigma)
Cheers
Douglas
Doug Herr wrote:
> On May 14, 2007, at 1:32 AM, Noel Yates wrote:
>
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> What does Leica have that Canon and Nikon do not have? A rangefinder
>> camera system, film and digital (argentique and numerique, the French
>> words are so much more pleasant). Much as I love the R system
>> (Leicaflex to R3 for me) maybe Leica I will drop it and concentrate
>> harder on the M niche.
>>
>
> A further narrowing of their product base will increase their
> vulnerability to market instability and whims and will reduce the
> opportunities for synergies between the product lines.
>
> Doug Herr
> Birdman of Sacramento
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com
>
>
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