photokina - Your Questions To Leica

[Douglas Sharp]

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Yes, Rollei is back - in a small but very expensive way.

 

The new owner, DHW in Braunschweig, is planning to produce special and very exclusive editions of the Rollei 35 Classic and two TLR cameras.

 

Whether they actually will isn't quite clear yet - their website has been on "work in progress"

 

since April of this year.

 

Douglas

[rosuna]

Was the Q&A published anywhere?

[andybarton]

I am waiting for the German -> English translation to polish

[rosuna]

I am waiting for the German -> English translation to polish

 

That polished version will look great... but I would prefer a silver chrome one.

[SJP]

no it needs to be set in titanium

[Rick]

Was the Q&A published anywhere?

 

While you are waiting here is the Babel Fish version. I'm not sure why it is taking so long... there really isn't much there... unless this is incomplete.

 

 

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.l-camera-forum.com%2Fleica-blog%2Fde%2F2010%2F09%2Fleica-fragestunde-photokina-das-protokoll%2F&lp=de_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

[menos I M6]

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I am waiting for the German -> English translation to polish

 

Wouldn't a German to Polish translation be safer?

 

Who knows, what wishful thinking will arise out of mistranslated terms the English->German->Polish path

[erl]

Wouldn't a German to Polish translation be safer?

 

Who knows, what wishful thinking will arise out of mistranslated terms the English->German->Polish path

 

The result is bound to be a bloody great beer!

[menos I M6]

[janki]

Theologians studying the Bible word by word and interpret what God's message to mankind is. Different interpretations have led to much conflict throughout the ages.

I have since I first heard about the "R solution", felt that we are about to get some sort of Leica religion with people who interpret Leica management's statements word by word, to find out what they really meant by the one and the other statement.

I must admit that I myself also have been doing some interpreting of these statementst.

I feel a bit like an idiot, and I think the people at Leica must have had pretty much fun by reading everything written.

:D

[mooky]

Theologians studying the Bible word by word and interpret what God's message to mankind is. Different interpretations have led to much conflict throughout the ages.

I have since I first heard about the "R solution", felt that we are about to get some sort of Leica religion with people who interpret Leica management's statements word by word, to find out what they really meant by the one and the other statement.

I must admit that I myself also have been doing some interpreting of these statementst.

I feel a bit like an idiot, and I think the people at Leica must have had pretty much fun by reading everything written.

:D

 

I am certainly just as guilty of attempting to interpret Leicas' word puzzles. This gets back to my comment from a week or so ago - why doesn't Leica just have one spokesperson or PR person? While it's nice of various managers to come forth now and again to answer questions, it just keeps biting them in the 'arse, and leaving us scratching our collective heads. Now, we'll have the recent meeting with LHSA and Leica to contrast and interpret with the Leica Forum meeting or - were they all at the same meeting!!!???!!

 

It's madness.

[mjh]

I am certainly just as guilty of attempting to interpret Leicas' word puzzles. This gets back to my comment from a week or so ago - why doesn't Leica just have one spokesperson or PR person? While it's nice of various managers to come forth now and again to answer questions, it just keeps biting them in the 'arse, and leaving us scratching our collective heads.

If the PR people were the only ones you could talk to, you would never have heard a word about an “R solution”. As long as a project is in a very early stage and might still change direction or even be canned, it would only be prudent to keep it a secret. So be careful what you ask for. A Leica manager might give you hints about developments that could result in an actually marketable product in two or three years time; I would be hard pressed to name another camera vendor that would be that open about their plans.

[mooky]

mjh.

 

I basically agree. Except that most companies have trained PR staff so they can avoid situations that Leica finds itself in with the R solution. Yes it's nice to see managers say things - it makes Leica seem more 'personal' - but it's more of an aberration in the business community than not.

 

PR staff can just as easily provide comments as managers, and we would have just as likely heard some answer(s) about the R solution but probably in a more controlled fashion that would enhance an image of control and direction. Most companies don't allow managers to talk because more often than not, it creates headaches for everyone. Normally they let (and even invite) questions come in to the PR staff, which then pass them along to management, who then approve an answer of some type, after addressing various marketing concerns, back to PR who then release the information in a controlled fashion. Which was and is the whole point. It's good business practice. It's quite simple.

[spylaw4]

...and as a result the emasculated answer is usually so bland and covered in caveats that it is to all intents and purposes useless!

[NZDavid]

Lots of interesting developments. As I see it, and taking into consideration my quick translation, which I have endeavored to make as accurate but concise as possible, here's a summary of the main points. Please add to it if I have missed anything vital:

 

* No R10 because the S2 gobbled up too many funds. (But S2 is doing well and there are lots of new developments, such as in-lens shutters, lenses, etc).

 

* Bad news is there is no digital solution for R lenses at present. Leica is working on as yet unfinalized mirrorless solution. Depends also on financial recovery.

 

* Service available for DMR module.

 

* Further development of compact cameras will concentrate on a successor to the X1. Cooperation with Panasonic will continue. The Fuji X100 set an important trend. Dr. Kaufmann sees the X100 as an "advertisement for the X1".

 

* New firmware for the X1 incorporating a "hyperfocal module" will arrive at the end of 2010.

 

* Further development of the X1 will be less in the direction of contemporary features such as HD video and GPS but will rather stress the classic Leica virtues of simple operation, uncluttered design, and superior picture quality.

 

* D-Lux 5 doing really well. Already 14,000 orders.

 

* The M9 ti is not only a special model but a technology trendsetter. Its LED illuminated finder and new carrying concept make it the equivalent of a "concept car".

 

* No AF confirmation for M9 because of CCD sensor; however a future CMOS sensor may make this possible; Leica not saying any more about concrete developments.

 

* No new M9 variants planned immediately, eg, viewfinders, silver chrome); patience required waiting for lenses (no compromises on quality); cracking of sensor glass attributable to suppliers, now resolved; M9 firmware now stable, no more serious bugs; weather sealing on the wish list but would require a new body.

 

* Questioning on new M lenses produced only the indirect answer that there were hardly an gaps in the range, but that it was the intention to fill even these.

 

* Pradovit D1200 not reached sales target, future in doubt, probably no successor.

 

* Move to Leitz Park temporarily postponed while finance details sorted out.

 

* New CRM (Customer Relationship Management ) customer data system under way.

 

* Does Leica still build analog cameras? "Yes, we're building the MP and M7 because they are in demand."

[phalter]

Lots of interesting developments. As I see it, and taking into consideration my quick translation, which I have endeavored to make as accurate but concise as possible, here's a summary of the main points. Please add to it if I have missed anything vital:

 

 

* No new M9 variants planned immediately, eg, viewfinders, silver chrome); patience required waiting for lenses (no compromises on quality); cracking of sensor glass attributable to suppliers, now resolved; M9 firmware now stable, no more serious bugs; weather sealing on the wish list but would require a new body.

 

 

 

I translate the passage in the minutes concerning an M9 in silver chrome as follows:

 

"For an M9 silver chrome there is a certain demand; right now we are assessing whether producing a chrome version would be profitable."

[NZDavid]

Thank you for the clarification; I took that to mean no new version planned immediately.

[rosuna]

I translate the passage in the minutes concerning an M9 in silver chrome as follows:

 

"For an M9 silver chrome there is a certain demand; right now we are assessing whether producing a chrome version would be profitable."

 

 

I cannot understand that. It is just a finish. Even if it implies a slight increase in costs, it may be translated to price for that particular model. I think the demand for a chromed silver model would be higher than that for a steel-gray paint finish. Maybe I am wrong.

 

 

There are a few things I read with worry. The S2 is told to be demanded by Leica aficionados, and not so by professionals. Leica points to the lack of a complete system yet (lenses, grip, etc.), but I think the price too is a problem.

 

Leica has spent 30 millions in the development of the S2 camera, and they need to recover. There are undergoing projects but they seem to be affected by the limited resources. If the new "mirrorless" solution is connected to the M system, and I hope it is, the next M camera will take time. Meanwhile, we could see some kind of M9.2 model with modifications in the body but not in electronics (CCD), for a while. This implies a much slower development path than I first thought. Sharing of components among different cameras (processor, basic electronics, basic software) was a goal of the S2 project, if I understood it well. This will take more time, if ever occurs, so that investment of 30 millions looks more problematic than it appears to be at first sight. The S system will need more time for recovering the investment, assuming current high margings and prices may be sustained for so long.

[wlaidlaw]

Rosuna,

 

I agree with what you say. If say they amortise at €3,000 per unit, they have to sell 10,000 units before they have paid off the development costs. Going to take a long time, particularly if they have to redevelop as a mirrorless S3. Right from when I first saw it at Photokina 2008, I thought it was an incredible technical achievement but worried that it could be a financial millstone, when I heard the then whispered-about development costs.

 

Wilson

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[rosuna]

Wilson,

 

3,000 € per unit may be a number too low. If total costs, including development costs, are 50% of the price (18.000 € per unit), we need to sell a few more than 3,000 units (30 millions divided by 9,000 euros). The MF market is of 10,000 units per year, and Leica's goal was to capture a 10% of market share. This is 1,000 units per year. The total recovering time would be 3 years. All this seems to be consistent with the initial plan.

 

But there are problems: the S2 was presented in 2008, and went to market in 2010, so the recovering period would extend until 2013; the leaf shutters are now developed "in house", and this adds new costs to the equation; the competitors are reducing prices, and the MF market may be growing in the low end, whereas the high end (now expensive full frame 645 cameras) is reducing its share, and the S2 is aiming just that subsegment of the market; the competitors are replicating the features of the S2 system (Phase One/Mamiya cameras have leaf shutter Schneider lenses, and they announce a forthcoming "new" camera; the Pentax camera has a large LCD and it is weather sealed; etc)...

 

I don't now if those numbers are correct. The point is that the environment is dynamic and changing, so initial plans may fail, and these are unknown waters for Leica (professional market). The large (rich) aficionados base are a very good niche, but it is limited. There are more than 1,000 of them, I am sure, but I don't know if you can sustain a MF system in the long term only with them.