Quote:
Originally Posted by lct
Are those reliable sources the Leica reps you refer to?
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In the good old days (5 years ago) reps would come around a month or more in advance and tell us about new equipment and train us to sell it. This gave us time to hype it, presell it and generally build up enthusiasm for it. Along came non-disclosure statements, immediate termination and the end to any truly reliable information regarding new equipment. Most reps today are not company employees, they are contract reps who come to collect an order and could care less that we sales people hear about new gear from our customers first and any training is done by reading on-line reviews. Not all, but most. I attribute this move to on-line purchases, where customers save money and sacrifice personal relationships with local business, big box stores where employees are not expected to have photographic knowledge but be cashiers and the competition between camera manufacturers to conceal their new products from their competitors. It is too bad because it dumbs up sales staff and leaves knowledge and service oriented businesses in the same category as big box stores. I'm not denigrating sales staff at big box stores because it isn't their fault that they are not trained, it is the nature of the business today. Is any information reliable today? I base reliability on the history of what I've been told in the past by the individuals. The history of the individuals I'm referring to have been reliable. What has changed is the reliability of the information coming from the company they represent, which can change due to R&D problems, marketing issues and just plain old subterfuge (I think politicians call it disinformation or plausable deniability) to confuse the competition. Up until two weeks ago I would have stated, with confidence, that Leica will introduce an R10 DSLR at Photokina. A very subtle question, over lunch, now leads me to believe that this may not happen (no I will not disclose the question). Up till now the information I've gathered regarding an M camera, to go along with the new Summarits in price point, has been reliable. What could change all that is R&D problems that may delay it's release. It also seems like a logical step for Leica to take in a market that has seen the M8 top out in sales partly due to its price. Leica needs to get themselves back in todays market and whether or not they can admit it to themselves price is a, if not the, major issue with a majority of digital camera buyers. I'm not even confident that a $3K M is going to be the answer for them as they need to find a way to attract a whole new generation of photographers who have DSLR and P&S in mind when they come in to spend money. Leicas' nitch market is unfortunately headed for the nitch in the crypt. This is the best that I can answer your question given the circumstances as I do not want anyone to loose their job over a posting in this forum. If I eat crow in the fall so be it.
