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Did Leica Management Learn Anything?


jonmurray

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These days leica is all about money money money ... It's not the tool for photographers anymore. Shame to those who run the company....

 

Completely the opposite. No one create tools for photographers as Leica does. Thecdownside is that it cost a lot to get the best 21mm low light lens or the best 50mm lens.

 

If you look at the complete lens lineupnof Leica you won't find one weak lens. Take a look at the Nikon and Canon lineup then, and ask yourself why those companies make lenses, and for whom.

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The other manufacturers, as you pointed out - already occupy this vast sea of mediocrity.

 

Okay I have edited what you have written and I wouldn't disagree with what seems to be your intent except I see a sea of excellence rather than mediocrity in the middle.

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Veblen good

 

In economics, Veblen goods are a group of commodities for which people's preference for buying them increases as a direct function of their price, as greater price confers greater status, instead of decreasing according to the law of demand. A Veblen good is often also a positional good.

 

Some types of high-status goods, such as high-end wines, designer handbags and luxury cars, are Veblen goods, in that decreasing their prices decreases people's preference for buying them because they are no longer perceived as exclusive or high status products. Similarly, a price increase may increase that high status and perception of exclusivity, thereby making the good even more preferable. The Veblen effect is named after the economist Thorstein Veblen, who first pointed out the concepts of conspicuous consumption and status-seeking. However, this 'anomaly' is mitigated when one understands that the demand curve does not necessarily have only one peak. The goods generally thought to be Veblen goods are still subject to the curve since demand does not increase with price infinitely. Demand may go up with price within a certain price range, but at the top of that range the demand will cease to increase before it begins to fall again with further price increases. At the other end of the spectrum, were luxury items priced equal to non-luxury items of lower quality, all else being equal more people would buy the luxury items, even though a few Veblen-seekers would not. Thus, even a Veblen good is subject to the dictum that demand moves conversely to price, although the response of demand to price is not consistent at all points on the demand curve.

Veblen goods and consumer psychology is a major theme of late 20th century novels such as Viktor Pelevin's Generation P and Frédéric Beigbeder's 99 Francs...

WIKI

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/market/listing/2589/Leica_M_collection_for_sale.html

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Balderdash.

 

I have never seen so many grown men behaving like spoiled brats. Good grief.

 

Why spoiled brats? I see customers who feel let down and betrayed. Even though for many Leica is a hobby it is not unreasonable for them to expect something from the company in the form of something that encourages and supports them, is it not? They do after all spend a lot of money in pursuit of this hobby. Or, is Leica some imperious power which can behave in a dilettante manner without regard for those who have given it their support?

I gave a quick look to their financial statement today and if I were one of their 900+ employees I would want to know what on earth they were playing at. Undoubtedly in German fashion they have an employee council and I would like to know what they are saying to these so called managers playing with the future of the company.

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I don't get it. I really don't. What aspect of the M9T is superfluous? Jewelry? I seriously fail to see the 'bling' here. Titanium and rubber. I'd say that serves both form and function. Ok so you think it's ugly, not to your taste or simply not value for your money. Fine, don't buy it! Just please don't use this as an invitation to pontificate business management or drag the dead R dog out for some more beating. It's Photokina. Leica has something to show. Enjoy it! :cool:

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Balderdash.

 

I have never seen so many grown men behaving like spoiled brats. Good grief.

 

Bill - I'm sorry to get personal about this, but I can't be the only one who's growing tired of your constantly roaming the forum looking for opportunities to voice your indignation at everyone else's moral failings. Please make some point that's germane to the topic instead.

 

For instance, my personal view is pretty clear (I've stated it above). I'm not stamping my feet and crying. But my worry is that this is what Leica's management think is an appropriate direction for future cameras and development. I'm not demanding that they concentrate on making decent, serious cameras suitable for professionals, but I am disappointed that they think photokina an appropriate event for unveiling badly-designed, tack-jewelry.

 

Now what are your feelings about this issue - rather than your customary hand-wringing and head-shaking at our human fallibility.

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I don't get it. I really don't. What aspect of the M9T is superfluous? Jewelry? I seriously fail to see the 'bling' here. Titanium and rubber. I'd say that serves both form and function. Ok so you think it's ugly, not to your taste or simply not value for your money. Fine, don't buy it! Just please don't use this as an invitation to pontificate business management or drag the dead R dog out for some more beating. It's Photokina. Leica has something to show. Enjoy it! :cool:

 

"dead R dog out for more beating".... Are you serious when you say that? Because if you haven't noticed, many of us are simply asking for Leica to follow up on their own statements about an R solution. They wanted to have a 'design presentation' where they showed what have been up to, that's fine really and you like what they presented, I think it's just okay - visually I would have liked a bit more 'contrast' or visual tension applied to the ti M9, and I don't think it was worth all the advanced PR but seeing as how it's a very high-end collectible I understand why they did.

 

But it's not dragging out the dead dog for a beating to ask them to at least give we, the mostly up to this point very patient R users, who HAVE been promised a solution, a simple comment or two. Look, they must have known that people would notice a non-statement, and assuming that is correct, wouldn't it be easy to calm the beast that they have kept alive by just a simple comment or two? It's not complicated.

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So why does anyone want to buy the Rolls?

 

Because when you drove one once, you cannot but buy it. :D

When you shoot a Leica once, same punishment.

This bears no relation with snobism. Extraordinary machines

draw the hand to them.

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I rather like the M9T. It is significantly different from the M9, so I would have called it an MT Special Edition.

 

The idea of the LED illuminated frame lines is novel and, I think, good. In really low light, the frame lines on the M2 thru M9 are difficult to see in that same light the M9T LED Frame Lines may be a wonderful step forward using modern technology. Whether they will be a distraction from composing in low light, I cannot tell.

 

Even though this run is limited to 500 Units, what you see will most certainly be incorporated into future Digital M designs made for the general photographic market. The overall design is Leica M with a modern look.

 

If I win the Lottery, I will buy one, otherwise I will admire it as an industrial work of art.

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Of course, in ANY light the M9Ti's framelines are not even there - unless one turns on the camera power.

 

If this is incorporated into future M designs, I won't buy them at any price.

 

As to the original question - I hope they learned to save the "big event" introductions for serious photographic tools, not the cartoonish (but profitable) special editions.

 

It's true that one sells the "sizzle," not the steak - but that presumes there is some beef somewhere.

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Short memories....it was apparently the PanaLeica digicams that injected much needed cashflow in Leica a few years back, starting with the Digilux 1.

 

The C Lux's and V Lux's and D Lux's have all been very popular (let''s forget the Digilux 3) and Leica have earnt well from allowing Panasonic to use the Leica name on their lenses.

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Even though this run is limited to 500 Units, what you see will most certainly be incorporated into future Digital M designs made for the general photographic market.

 

I bet you ten dollars the next M will not be like this one.

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...I am disappointed that they think photokina an appropriate event for unveiling badly-designed, tack-jewelry...

Matter of tastes Mani. I don't like the strap at all and don't want to be killed by swmbo anyway :D but i like the design of the beast and i'm quite happy that good craftsmen can have the oportunity to work on projects like that. Leica had nothing important to disclose so they chose photokina this time why not? I'm more interested by what Leica will say or not next saturday about the "R solution" and other questions.

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