M8 a luxury item on CNN Interntational

[jbstitt]

CNN International has been doing a series of 1 minute videos on various LUXURY items. Watches, purses, pens, all the crazy expensive status things that people crave. Some can afford, others cannot.

There was a 1 minute video about the Leica M8 with the president of Leica ( I think) shooting in glorious places promoting the M8 as the ultimate status camera. Not a word about the ultimate in mechanics (although they did mention precision) UV filters, sudden death, manual operation, photographic control, or any of the other pluses and minuses of the M system.

Confirmed to me a gut feeling that Leica is taking a different direction with it's target market - a direction I do not really like, as a luxury item. I hope someday, like a wayward teenager, they will someday come back to their strengths of precision and control and reliability and optics with a newfound dedication.

I keep my Digilux 2 (the best travel camera ever made so far) and am still pissed they did not continue the concept, improve it, and continue a classic. I keep my SL and lenses and My M6 and lenses, but sold the DMR and returned the Digilux 3, and sit and wait for the identy crisis to be over and hope they do not alienate too many more real loyal Leica photographers in the while they find themselves.

[jaapv]

Err... I do not think CNN lists of items are instigated by the Leica marketing department. I even doubt that they are overjoyed by this exposure, as it does indeed harm the perception of the camera.

[hankg]

Leica has in recent years developed the reputation of a producer of status symbols / collectable objects. A beautiful and expensive anachronism from another time. This perception was reinforced by the Hermes investment.

Don't expect that perception to change overnight. The M8 is the first camera Leica has produced in a long time that has moved Leica back into the realm of working photographers (both amatuer and professional). Collecters think of a camera as an investment but for photographers it's just a capital expense, a tool, the usefulness of which is determined by what it can help you produce in the way of images, not whether, like an old Vacheron watch, it will make a suitable family heirloom to pass down to your grandchildren.

In any case for it's digicam line the "luxury" halo may work in Leica's favor. Giving the Gucci set a reason to pay more for a rebaged Panasonic to put in their $15K Hermes purse. That's great if it improves Leica's bottom line.

[blakley]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Err... I do not think CNN lists of items are instigated by the Leica marketing department. I even doubt that they are overjoyed by this exposure, as it does indeed harm the perception of the camera.

If CNN spelled the name right, Leica will get more sales from the exposure. No one who was thinking of buying one will drop the idea because it got a mention on CNN.