sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Share #1 Posted September 17, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Leica. Make one of these and put a screen on the back of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicaflex_SL2 Don't change the shape or where the buttons are. Just leave them in the same place. Give us 15-18 REAL megapixels (something, full frame "ish"). Leave it as an R mount. Charge us 32-3500 bucks. I will pay the $700-1K more than the 5d mkII as long as you build this new SL2 to the same standard. I will even go 4 grand. Canon and Nikon will crap their pants. ... okay, 4,500. But it's gotta be built like a brick poop house... like the camera in the link I posted. I don't even need auto focus! Just a "real" camera.. like the old days. The ISO is where it's supposed to be. Time and fire where they are supposed to be. "Groovy". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 17, 2010 Posted September 17, 2010 Hi sfage, Take a look here Please build.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted September 17, 2010 Share #2 Posted September 17, 2010 Canon and Nikon will crap their pants. Like they did in the nineteensixties and seventies? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted September 17, 2010 Share #3 Posted September 17, 2010 I appreciate the sentiment - and your taste. But realistically, Leica dropped the SL/SL2 in favor of buying Minolta camera designs because it cost more to make - in 1978 dollars - than they could sell it for. Let alone what it would cost today. Leica might just possibly be able to build a FILM SL, today, for $9,000. Double that for a digital version. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #4 Posted September 17, 2010 Like they did in the nineteensixties and seventies? I dunno Jaap. Mine still works. Do as many of theirs still work? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #5 Posted September 17, 2010 I appreciate the sentiment - and your taste. But realistically, Leica dropped the SL/SL2 in favor of buying Minolta camera designs because it cost more to make - in 1978 dollars - than they could sell it for. Let alone what it would cost today. Leica might just possibly be able to build a FILM SL, today, for $9,000. Double that for a digital version. Yup. I built that in to my "wish price". I said I would buy this machine over the $2500 5d mkII for as much as 4 grand, maybe slightly more. I will pay that price for similar build quality of the SL2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted September 17, 2010 Share #6 Posted September 17, 2010 Probably a good deal more - as they sold a tenthousandfold more cameras at least. The R line has always been an uphill struggle commercially for Leica. I can quite understand that they bowed out. But I too appreciate the sentiment. I dunno Jaap. Mine still works. Do as many of theirs still work? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted September 17, 2010 Share #7 Posted September 17, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm glad you'd pay $4,500 - but what about the other $13,500? Is Leica supposed to just take a loss on every camera? (1978 all over again). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #8 Posted September 17, 2010 I just had her out on the Colombia Ice Fields, yesterday. Sleet, rain going sideways, wind... nasty. No problem for "Gertrude" She just put up her sword and shield. Chuckle I let Brünhilde (the Rollei) stay home today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #9 Posted September 17, 2010 I'm glad you'd pay $4,500 - but what about the other $13,500? Is Leica supposed to just take a loss on every camera? (1978 all over again). But adan, this is the point I am trying to make. This is the challenge. Make a direct competitor to the 5dMkII with the build quality -roughly equivalent- of the SL2 and try and get in at around 4 grand. I said "roughly equivalent". .. and why? There's no dSLR between the X1 and M9 in terms of price. In one hand, we have 2 grand the next one up is.. how much? I learned this when I opened my gallery. You can't open your doors -and expect to stay in business- and have the whole shop be 500 bucks and up. Second, you can't go from 500 to 4000 and have nothing in between. It's not going to work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted September 17, 2010 Share #10 Posted September 17, 2010 Leica took a hard look at that "challenge" - and decided to drop the entire R line instead. There are "challenges" - and then there is financial suicide. What you suggest falls into the second category. Unless, of course, you know how. In which case, Leica would probably love to see your business plan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted September 17, 2010 Share #11 Posted September 17, 2010 It would bring a big smile to Canikons face - Leica honorably disemboweling itself.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #12 Posted September 17, 2010 Gentlemen, my business plan is very simple: You can't open your doors -and expect to stay in business- and have the whole shop be 500 bucks and up. Second, you can't go from 500 to 4000 and have nothing in between. It's not going to work. You need to "gradate" your clients. Think of it like the Fibonacci series: 1, 2 , 3 , 5, 8, 13, 21 There's no 3 or 5. Pretty close to no 8 either. You know what I mean? In this price-point market, the sign on the front door of the Canon and Nikon store says "open". In this price point, the sign on the front door of the Leica store says "closed". So, they are not even open for business. Why are they closed? Because they do not have a PRODUCT at that price point. Did you want to criticize my business model again? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted September 17, 2010 Share #13 Posted September 17, 2010 I dunno Jaap. Mine still works. Do as many of theirs still work? I've got a little collection of older cameras, including a Nikon F2, they all work fine. The Nikon F's and Canon F's were just as well made as a Leicaflex IMHO. Why don't you just buy an R8/9 and DMR? Problem solved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #14 Posted September 17, 2010 "Why don't you just buy an R8/9 and DMR? Problem solved. " Early, maybe I am not being clear. Let me say this again: "In this price point, the sign on the front door of the Leica store says "closed". So, they are not even open for business. Why are they closed? Because they do not have a PRODUCT at that price point." Leica does not have a dSLR product -at the 5dMKII / D700 price point- that they can actually put in a box, on a truck, and ship. Is this clearer? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 17, 2010 Share #15 Posted September 17, 2010 Yes, it's clearly a slow Friday. Welcome to Fantasy Island... "Boss, boss! De plane, de plane!!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #16 Posted September 17, 2010 Yes, it's clearly a slow Friday. Welcome to Fantasy Island... "Boss, boss! De plane, de plane!!" /facepalm. Dear Lord. I have tried. I have tried to make them understand. I know that I have been a sinner in the past and if it would be alright with you, I will discuss that with Saint Peter when I see him. But Lord, I care about this company. I care about their survival. I have tried to instill in them the idea that it is difficult to compete with other people when you do not even have a product -in the price range (or slightly higher)- that you can get people to buy, then put in a box and ship it to them on a truck. In order to stay in business, Lord, it would be helpful to have a product that can be put on a store shelf. I have tried, Lord. I really have. I don't know -how else- to get this through to them. It seems impossible. Lord, can you help me... to help them understand? Signed: "Timmy". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 17, 2010 Share #17 Posted September 17, 2010 Just because you want one, does not mean that enough other people would want one to make it a viable proposition. Once you have come to terms with this basic truism you will see why your fantasy camera will not see the light of day. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted September 17, 2010 Share #18 Posted September 17, 2010 /facepalm. Dear Lord. I have tried. I have tried to make them understand. I know that I have been a sinner in the past and if it would be alright with you, I will discuss that with Saint Peter when I see him. But Lord, I care about this company. I care about their survival. I have tried to instill in them the idea that it is difficult to compete with other people when you do not even have a product -in the price range (or slightly higher)- that you can get people to buy, then put in a box and ship it to them on a truck. In order to stay in business, Lord, it would be helpful to have a product that can be put on a store shelf. I have tried, Lord. I really have. I don't know -how else- to get this through to them. It seems impossible. Lord, can you help me... to help them understand? Signed: "Timmy". How can Leica make a camera for just a little bit more that a D700, without the huge economies of scale that Nikon enjoy? That's what your problem is. You want them to make a premium product at a suicidally budget price. Your idea would make Canon and Nikon wet their pants alright. Laughing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share #19 Posted September 17, 2010 The M9 is $7,000. A standard lens ('cron 50) is $2,000. That makes $9,000 The X1 is $2,000. There is no current model between that, which is for sale at B+H (for example) . By my calculation, that's a $7000 hole in the product line. A Canon 5dMKII is $2500. A 50mm Canon lens (L glass) is 1500, for a total of $4000. A Nikon D700 is $2400. An equivalent Nikkor is $1400, for a total of $3800. I am very sorry that Leica cannot manufacture a machine for $700-1000 more than this, roughly within this price point. For those of you that said Leica manufacturing the machine that I suggested would send Canon and Nikon "laughing all the way to the bank"... ... they already are. They are exploiting this price-point market, beautifully. If I was Canon and Nikon, I would send Leica a dozen roses for staying out of my way. I will now walk away from this conversation. If Leica cannot operate in such a way that they can insert a model in this 7,000 dollar hole, then I am truly sorry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 17, 2010 Share #20 Posted September 17, 2010 They are not stupid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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