[cobbslane]

I cannot be more disappointed to read of the recent problems coming out of the early M8 shipments. Is this a another example of a Company going beyond its area of expertise? I wonder.

Since I was knee high, with a dream of owning a Voigtlander, I knew of Leica. They were the pinnacle of that elusive combination; superb engineering coupled to absolute perfection of quality at any cost. Yes, their end products were expensive (and still are) but with that came the comfort of knowing that you had bought the best there was available. Even the outstanding warranty cover, whilst being impressive, was rarely needed.

For years Leica seemed shy of developing any adaptation that could be considered non-essential or pure gimmickry. Yes they seemed to the general public to be behind the times as the Japanese brought out model after model, with and without problems of their own. But what Leica did, they did very, very well indeed and even the man in the street knew that whatever he thought of the pricing and spec, he knew what Leica stood for. Engineering perfection.

Models came and lasted and lasted. Each one developed at Leica's OWN pace. Ensuring imperfections were eliminated. Each model was a natural rather than radical step. The user's were considered and listened to and the Leica conservative approach was used to its fullest extent in ensuring that things worked.

And so when I found myself able to afford it (and my wife allowed) I bought into the Leica family with an M6 after years with another capable producer - Canon (FTb, A1, F1 etc and now 20D, 30D, 1D) Wow was I hooked. My pictures were very different. Gone were the chocolate box covers and in came street photography. I was once more just as excited as I was when I got my first developing kit! And to boot I was invited to join a day's workshop foc in Milton Keynes where I was able to use any of the entire M class lans for a whole day. I had just died and gone to heaven. I was not unique as every other Leica owner knows - just proud.

So when my wife was in second weak moment I took the advantage again and bought the R8. Now this was very different and I had mixed feelings about it. Engineering superb, lens quality the best, ergonomics great (for me) but it wasn't so user friendly as I had found my Canon's. I dispensed with it when the M7 came out.

I recall the press coverage of the 'auto' settings of the M7. Personally, I found them to be fine but everyone seemed to make a meal out of the step away from tradition. After all it used batteries! And what would the street photographer do in the dark lanes of Paris at midnight when his trusty Nicad gave up the ghost! Switch to 1/60th that's what came the reply. But I suspect that many an ardent fan stayed with the M6 for simple reasons like this.

And in the background was the digital back. When is it coming was the cry. And at this point it all went pear shaped for Leica.

By now they had enjoyed an early relationship with Fuji and were criticised for that. They had brought out their scanning back cameras (S's?). And they had been brave enough to suggest they were going to go where no other Marketing Director would allow....an accessory digital conversion. All the Japs by now had realised the market potentail of digital as they still do. Don't covert was the cry...develop new and change your lens mount!'We'll make millions' they thought, 'as the punters will have to change their entire system'. And they were correct. But not Leica. They were conservative and brave.

So after years of development, problems, setbacks etc it finally appeared but at a time when the competition had moved on. So what would have been revolutionary was less so.
What do I blame for this? Two things. The harsh reality of the financial strength of one of Europe's finest engineering Companies - Leica. It was quite frankly very poor. And secondly operating outside of their area of expertise.

As an ex-CEO I know the trouble that both of these issues can bring to a company very well indeed. Far too well in fact!

R&D and in particular post development testing costs a fortune. Anyone who has seen the soak testing of every phone made by Nokia in a 1 acre 5 storey building will know of it all to visibly. You need to enter this arena with your wallet and eyes wide open. Budgeting for this phase is difficult but it must be a worst case plan because if anything can go wrong it will. You must ensure the product is tested again and again and that the standards of acceptance are set beforehand and not devalued to meet a marketing timetable. And you need a CEO who can stand up to Marketing and Shareholder pressure when things go wrong and you go off the launch plan. You need to think as if it was a life threatening venture - you just do not launch if it is not right. And never, never do you use your customers as the proving ground to get it right either. They will vanish as a result.

Are we beginning to notice anything here?

Secondly, stay within your area of expertise. Electronics and Leica should not be used in the same sentence. That is why a tie up with an organisation such as Panasonic makes so much sense - whatever you think of P. Without doubt they are up there with Sony, Canon, Nokia, Seimens etc in their ability to deliver on time, on spec electronics to the market. Japansese companies take 6 months concept to launch these days - and get it right. Why? Not because they have the 'brainpower' but because they have the resource. People, specialists, R&D labs working on the basic physics of it all and financial strength above all else.

So why are we critical of the products brought about by this cooperation? Would we prefer Leica to stay mechanical or rely on its best-in-class lens technology? Or would we prefer that in the M9 the electronics were Panasaonic with spec and standards dictated by Leica and mechanics and styling by Leica, with the output being exclusively Leica and not badged? And of course the whole lot built in Solms.

I do not know of a company the scale of Leica that can afford to launch as many models at the same time as Leica have. And who would choose to launch an icon at the same time as the rest? I suspect that marketing pressures - more likely shareholder pressures have gotten the better of them. And it is a sorry state of affairs.

And worst of all, when such a classic product as the M8 comes out with so many apparent flaws the whole rush to market backfires with sales underperforming which in turn worsens the very state of the Company itself.

I do hope I am wrong. You will probably think so. But if you can imagine a financially struggling company with a brand as important in its market as Leica and with new money invested you will also imagine a shareholder or two who is restless for a magnificent and quick return. And beyond all else positive cashflow that only rapid pre-Xmas sales can bring. Does he care about fringing, banding, magenta casts or a simple inability to explain the difference between Leica and Panasonic cameras. Not a chance. I'm afraid colleagues, that the days of Leica being run by and for enthusiats are over. They are now entirely commercially driven.

Which probably goes some way to explain the disappointment we all feel when the iconic M8 performs as it does.

Gerry