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[ho_co]

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... The previous argument against it was that it could damage sales of their own SLR cameras but that's not valid anymore. ...

 

Previous argument as I heard it when employed by the company was that putting Leica lenses on cameras over which they had no control would bring down the output quality of the lenses. That is, if I've got a body not made to Leica's tolerances and try a Leica lens, I may not be able to see the difference and would blame Leica. ("Damn expensive lens no better than my others. How do they get away with charging these prices?")

 

But I think the real reason is one of output capabilities. Leica always quality-controlled lenses built by others for the R line, and rightly charged Leica prices for the Leica quality. Highest quality requires small production lots. Erwin Puts has demonstrated that the Leica designs themselves require small production lots.

 

If you could build Leica-quality lenses at Nikkor prices, Nikon would be doing it.

 

In other words, as Andy said, when you start rooting with the hogs, you're no longer Leica.

 

 

I'm curious what Zeiss' sales numbers are in Nikon and Canon mounts, since they're a successful example of what we're talking about, though with a completely different business structure.

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[andybarton]

Andy, most of the R zooms and one or two primes were made in partnership with Japanese manufacturers.

 

 

AFAIK, a lot (but not all) of the Leica R zooms were actually Japanese zooms with an expensive name on the front. I had one, and frankly, it wasn't up to much.

 

The REAL Leica zooms are highly sought after, and command fantastic prices, even now. The Japanese ones - don't.

 

Leica could partner a Japanese manufacturer in order to make lenses for the Canon and Nikon (and Sony?) market. But to do it properly, so as to be able to command the premium that they would want over OEM lenses, they'd have have a dedicated team to design lenses, from scratch, to cater for this market. They'd have to be auto-focus, as most Canon/Nikon/Sony buyers wouldn't want to go to the bother of focussing themselves, so there'd be the added hassle of having to work out how the same lens would work with the three + different systems (I suppose that the Japanese partner could take care of that bit)

 

Then, there's the market. How many C/N/S buyers want to pay the Leicageld premium? There's an awful lot of "good enough" in the mass market. I'd wager that very few people would take the extra step to move into Leica lenses, if they are used to paying a hundred quid for a prime a/f Nikon...

[Overgaard]

You can see here which was made by Leica of the zoom lenses. I think some of the not-fully-made-by-leica was ok, others not that great.

 

But the ones they made them self ... was/is quite good.

 

leica.overgaard.dk - Thorsten Overgaard's Leica Pages - Leitz and Leica Lens Compendium

[earleygallery]

Leica always quality-controlled lenses built by others for the R line, and rightly charged Leica prices for the Leica quality. Highest quality requires small production lots. Erwin Puts has demonstrated that the Leica designs themselves require small production lots.

 

If you could build Leica-quality lenses at Nikkor prices, Nikon would be doing it.

 

 

Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well. Leica are making AF 'genuine Leica' lenses for the S2, so maybe they could also make a limited range of AF lenses for FF DSLR's in Canon/Nikon mounts. If necessary - to get access to the mount license, electronics etc or whatever - work with another company who already make lenses in C/N mounts i.e. Sigma or Tamron etc. NOT for Sigma or Tamron or whoever to make the glass you understand, but to perhaps make the barrels and mounts.

 

I'm sure there are photographers out there who will happily pay Leica prices for Leica lenses, probably photographers who are using Canon or Nikon bodies because there isn't a Leica alternative, and they want the full auto features and AF of their cameras.

 

Anyway, I doubt that its the 'new product' or even an idea which appeals to Leica at this point in time.

[rosuna]

Canon and Nikon lenses are nothing short of superb. Canon primes are second to none. Even Zeiss may be selling small numbers of lenses for F and EOS mounts, and the prices aren't too high. I think Zeiss lenses only bring something different, but not better in terms of optical performance. Leica has nothing to do in that playground. As simple as that. The difference in prices would be huge but the perceived difference in performance would be minimal or zero. And AF operation wouldn't be so good as that of original Canon or Nikon lenses. I think this should be discarded. I cannot see how it could be done, and I doubt it would have a market anyway.