[LRflex] Speculation re: London Blow out of Demo R lenses
- From: David Young <telyt@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 01 May 2007 09:33:48 -0700
Steve Barbour asked:
>After Howard Cummer wrote about teh discounting of Leica R glass:
>
> > Hi Phil,
> > I frankly don't know what to think. I know that Leica is working on
> > an R10 integrated digital camera
>
>
> is this a solid fact Howard ...or a rumor?
>
>Steve
Hi Steve!
There are a number of possibilities and, like Howard, I'm not sure
what to think.
Some thoughts:
Leica are working on an R10. That much is certain. Both Howard and I
attended a small meeting, at the last Photokina, to give feedback to
Leica regarding it's form and features. You will recall that last
fall, I conducted a survey on what list members wished to see in the
next R camera, and then passed the results along to Leica. Neither
Howard nor I can say much about it, as the first order of business
was the signing of non-disclosure agreements.
What can be said is that Leica realize that with the preponderance of
SLR sales in today's world, if they do not have a viable dSLR, the
company will have a very hard time ever becoming more than a niche
player. Their goal is to create an "R" camera which will bring a
good number of pros back to the Leica brand. They realize that the
last time Leica stood the photographic world on it's ear was with the
introduction of the M3 in 1954. They want to do, with the R10, what
the M3 did, back then.
Will they succeed? Only time will tell. But I think it is safe to
say that an R10 is definitely on it's way, and should be introduced
at Photokina, Sept. 08. Rose and I plan to be there, to see it
unveiled. (With luck, I'll get to try one of the pre-production
ones, as I did with the M8. However, here again, only time will
tell. Besides, if I do, I won't be able to tell until after Photokina!)
As for the DMR - my understanding it that only 3000 were made ... a
number chosen because Leica had about that many unsold R9's in the
warehouse when the decision to produce them was made! I understand,
from various sources, that most (though not all) DMR's were sold with
R9's, so the warehouse should be near empty of them, by now. (OTOH,
it does make the DMR an "instant collectible" - if only because so
few were made.)
So, now to speculation on the London Blow outs...
(Remember, this is speculation, not based on any "inside" information.)
1) Dealers may not have confidence that an R10 is, indeed, coming,
and are dumping their stock while it still has some value.
2) Dealers may have heard, or may be guessing, that in order to
accommodate auto-focus, the lens mount may have to be changed. If so,
they may be dumping their existing stock while it still has some
value. (I do not *know* that AF is in Leica's plans, though I cannot
imagine any new camera, without it.)
After all, even if an adapter is made so that existing R lenses can
be used on the new lens mount (as with the adapters for R to 4/3rds
and R to Canon); such an adapter would please those of us with
current glass, but would not encourage others to buy old style glass
if they were buying the new body and did not already own "R"
glass! Better for the dealers to get half price now, than 1/4 price, later!
3) Howard pondered:
>Maybe the dealers are just reducing stock which isn't moving - but I
>doubt they could do that without agreement from Leica.
I cannot speak for the laws of every country, but in Canada & the US
(and in most countries where price control has been abolished), a
dealer can sell for any price he wants. How the suppliers control
advertised price is to only offer certain discounts and advertising
rebates if a dealer's ads hold to certain minimum prices. However, a
dealer can advertise at that price and still sell for less, if he
wishes. Few do (at least, until now!) but they *can*. If dealers
are worried about slow moving stock which, for whatever reasons, they
feel is no longer sellable (or even if they think it is, but do not
wish to wait for 18+ months, until the R10 comes along) they are
legally free to dump the stock as they see fit.... even if Leica are
not pleased. Since most retailers work on the premise that they can
rotate their stock a minimum of 4 times a year, lenses for which
there will be no (digital) camera for the next 18 to 20 months
represent inventory to be dumped. Period.
So, Howard, the answer is: yes, they can do that, without agreement from Leica.
4) It is also possible that Leica have bigger changes in mind that we
think, and are giving their dealers an allowance (possibly towards
the purchase of M8 bodies/glass) to help them clear old stock; in
order to keep the dealer network intact, rather than having a lot of
established "R" dealers mad at them when the coming R10 finally
arrives. This, like the rest, is all speculation, but comes from 30
years of retail, and watching what other manufacturers have done, in
past, to ensure an orderly market and the maintenance of a
distribution network.
Apart from these thoughts, I am as perplexed as Howard as to the
reasons for the apparent dumping "R" equipment by some dealers.
Cheers!
---
David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA
Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/
Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt
Stock Photography at: http://tinyurl.com/2amll4
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