[LRFlex] Re: Leica's Future / Ilford's rebirth.
- From: David Young <dnr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 07:42:34 -0800
G'Mornin' Gary!
Glad to hear you're sufficiently 'wired' this morning! :D
You wrote:
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.
I have only the 80~200/f4 Vario-Elmar in 3-cam (so I can use it on my SL,
as well) and it's indistinguishable from any other Leica lens, unless you
look on the bottom where it says "Made in Japan".
Unfortunately, it now seems that Kyocera is thinking of dropping
camera.lens production entirely. They've announced the cessation of film
cameras and some digital gear. Management is mum on what's next... never a
good sign!
>>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.
We might accept it if it were Leica designed. Of course, if it's designed
by former Leica designers, working in Solms, for Cosina... is it Leica
designed?
I believe that building glass in Germany and doing assembly in Japan would
not be cost effective. Remember, we're talking a desperate company here!
OTOH, Cosina's glass manufacturing standards are superb - it's only their
mounts that are not up to current Leica standards and, other than poor
paint, none of the M users seem to be complaining about Voigtlander lenses!
>>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.
My CL was great, EXCEPT that every time I put it on a long jet-plane ride,
the rangefinder wouldn't work when I got off the plane. I'd have it fixed,
when I got home, and it would be perfect until the next long jet-plane
ride! After the 5th trip, I got it fixed and sold it. The guy who has it,
loves it. He never travels!
I believe, these days, that fixability is becoming an issue.
>>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.
To me, any low cost, entry level body is all about selling lenses. Leica
(and Nikon, Canon, Olympus etc.) is an optical house. The design of
interchangeable lens cameras is not about convenience for the photographer.
Rather, it's about selling more than one lens for each camera!
Sure, lower cost bodies wouldn't be as good. So? The Nikkormat/Nikon
pairing worked very well. In fact, I believe it was Nippon Kogaku's
decision to use only the Nikon brand that diminished it's stature in the
consumer's eye.
The Yashica/Contax pairing did well, to sell Zeiss lenses. Nobody who
bought a Yashica expected it to be a Contax. They just wanted a cheap way
to get into Zeiss glass!
One advantage of Cosina's bodies (they now have one that's styled after the
old Topcon, and in a gorgeous gold-ish finish - would look great with
Leicaflex written across it! See:
http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtFlexTM.htm) is that they say "made in
Japan", not "Made in Malaysia" or "Made in Philippines". I do not wish to
judge Malaysian made cameras, for as I mentioned, Rose's "Made in Vietnam"
Pentax Zooms are great! But, there was a time when "Made in Japan" meant
junk. Now, "Made in Japan" means a quality product in the eyes of most
consumers. Ergo, while not "Made in Germany", for a low cost body, Japan
would, I think, be most acceptable.
The question here is, even if they bring it out, will it be a case of too
little, too late?
>>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.
As I understand their financials, they're not hurting too badly, but
they're not flush with funds either. Certainly not enough to want to
undertake a failing firm and try to make it profitable.
On the bright side, I see ILFORD has emerged from bankruptcy protection -
all brought about by a management buyout.
With luck, they'll stay out of trouble by trimming production costs! And
improve marketing!
After all, it seems that their troubles were caused by the fact that
worldwide B&W sales dropped 8% in 2003, whilst ILFORD's sales dropped 25%.
(NOT a good sign!)
----------
David Young, | égalité, liberté,
Victoria, CANADA | fraternité et Beaujolais.
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