[LRflex] Re: Leica to abandon 4/3rds - how good will a Leica R AF system be??
- From: Douglas Sharp <douglas.sharp@xxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 13:45:35 +0200
Hello, Alex,
Looks like I'll probably be missing this year's Photokina too - I'll be
working hard to make up for the 3 weeks holiday in the UK that ends the
week before.
Leica has no chance of working along the lines of the bigger companies,
so they'll have to come up with something really innovative that
maintains their image in terms of perceived value and longevity, but
still allows fast and regular upgrades. Nobody in their right mind is
going to lay out several thousands every couple of years (at least
prosumers or non-professionals won't), and the thought of a 'throw-away'
Leica just doesn't fit with either their heritage or their corporate
philosophy.
This is where I believe Leica's problems are to be found:
The BIG difference between digital and the LSM, M, SL and R film cameras
we are - still - using is that our film cameras all cater for a mature
technology that requires no technological innovations to keep it up to
date. The most we need is a supply of good repair men (women), spare
parts and film manufacturers, all of which are gradually fading away.
Leica is well established as THE premium brand in this segment when it
comes to the desirability of what they produce.
Translating this to digital technology, after having ignored that it
exists for so long, is a pretty big problem to tackle.
It either leads to the loss of the historical Leica image and puts them
down on the same 'planned obsolescence' level as their competitors, or
they have to come up with something that guarantees the historical
continuity of the Leica brand image while fulfilling everything demanded
by contemporary technology.
So, IMO, what we should be looking for is something that makes good
sense in technical, marketing and cost (still expensive - still Leica)
terms, because they won't be able to corner a lucrative professional
market from one day to the next unless they come up with something that
truly has a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that has never been seen
before - which I doubt very much will be the case.
Therefore, a multi price level, 'pick and mix/plug 'n play' DSLR with
choices of what it has on board is, for me, the only logical solution.
Cheers
Douglas
Alex Hurst wrote:
Douglas wrote:
Alex,
the way I see it is that the only solution to the Leica Quality/Fast
Digital Obsolence dilemma is a high quality body with exchangable
digital hardware - think along the lines of different sensors,
processors etc. If you can change focusing screens, why can't you
have plug and play sensors and other chips?
Absolutely - they seem to be doing it with lens adaptors already.
OTOH the camera makers don't want to sell you new bits, but new
bodies..... :-(
Pity it wasn't Rollei taking this path, their 3003, if developed
further, would have made an ideal platform for digital photography.
Weren't there interchangeable sensor backs for the latest Hassies at
the last Photokina (which, sadly, you didn't make)?
The other piece of kit that never came anywhere near making it to the
market was substitute 'virtual film' - drop in the sensor. processor
and card in place of a film cassette and the protruding tongue of
film. As I remember there was some vapourware knocking around, but
nothing ever came of it. Wonder if it could be resurrected as
technology has moved on a bit?
Best
Alex
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