[LRFlex] Re: Leica's Future
- From: Gary E <ge_crocus@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 06:04:24 -0800 (PST)
David,
I took your suggestion and doubled my coffee dose this
morning. Now rolling along... :D
Just a few more comments.
>>4 - shift all lens production to Japan. Kyocera is
the only firm who has shown they can meet Leica's
build quality requirements, and they can do it cheaper
than Leica. This would greatly help Leica's bottom
line.>>
I've used several of the newer zooms and found that
their build quality is quite superb. Much so that I
had forgotten that they were made by Kyocera. They
can very well do the job of making the next generation
of R lenses and while bringing costs down.
>>5 - shift all lens production to Cosina. Build
quality would be good, but not to current standards.
Would die hard Leica fans purchase such lenses at near
Leica prices? Or would they simply buy voigtlander?
And Cosina would have the same concerns as Kyocera.>>
I don't think veteran Leica users would accept Cosina
made Leica lenses; especially if the glass was not
made or designed by Leica. If Leica was making the
glass and designs while being assembled by Cosina,
maybe that would be plausible.
>>6 - Re-introduce the CL, with M7 style metering and
shutter automation, built by Cosina or Panasonic.
Something, anything, to get a lower price M-mount
camera out there, to help increase the customer base
for M-mount lenses.>>
Put me on the MCL list as soon as you hear about it.
I've been thinking about a CL, but hear mixed reviews
about it's reliability or its fixability.
>>7 - Introduce a low-cost, entry level body (Built by
Cosina?) that takes R-lenses, again to expand the
customer base. This would only work if the lenses
were also lowered in price by Japanese (or other
Asian) manufacturing.>>
>>Cosina makes a very nice Bessaflex manual focus SLR
that could easily be adapted to R-mount and sold for
US$399. And Cosina is selling a plastic body K-mount,
aperture priority, manual focus Voigtlander that
currently sells for US $225 including a so-so zoom
lens! It has a 1/3000th top speed and 1/125th flash
sync! Surely, Cosina could build them an R-mount
version that would sell for US$399 as a body only.>>
Same goes here as with the MCL, if they can make an
2005 SL put me on the list.
>>I stated most major Japanese maker would want Leica.
Not Nikon, for I understand that they are in some
financial difficulties themselves, having been
successfully hammered in the biz by Canon.>>
This I wouldn't figure from their sales of the D70,
though they have been a little slow in introducing a
D100 and D1x replacement.
All we can do is look into our own crystal ball and
speculate our own views on what we would like Leica to
do next. But as all of us are Leicaflex / R users, I
believe we commonly agree that we want use Leica
without any substitutions.
Regards,
Gary
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