A piece of puzzle from current Leica strategy

[Dr No]

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The die-hard fans staying with Leica M, this will always be the way.

But. We see certain change in directions from Leica with development shift moving to SL and away from M.

It also just happens that Leica M Mount patent has expired and now anyone can make Leica M lenses.

Making sense, that the two events are related, no?

Edited November 8, 2018 by Dr No

[PeterGA]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1EESyw50ws&t=0s

atb

Pete

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[Leicaiste]

7 minutes ago, Dr No said:

It also just happens that Leica M Mount patent has expired and now anyone can make Leica M lenses.

Just happens ?

It happened long time ago. 

[wattsy]

Yes, the patents expired around 20 years ago. Zeiss and Cosina (and other third party manufacturers) have produced countless M mount lenses since then.

Edited November 8, 2018 by wattsy

[Dr No]

Thank you for infos I thought it was more recent and Zeiss Voigtlander  etcwere paying fees.

[Whitford]

3 hours ago, wattsy said:

Yes, the patents expired around 20 years ago. Zeiss and Cosina (and other third party manufacturers) have produced countless M mount lenses since then.

Konica too.

[250swb]

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9 hours ago, Dr No said:

Making sense, that the two events are related, no?

Dr No, no.

[albertknappmd]

I think that Leica is HEDGING but not SWITCHING. Both the M and SL are hopefully here to stay as they are radically different systems...

Albert 😃

[luigi bertolotti]

Let's say that SL stays inside a hot marketplace (see recent announcements in the Mirrorless field) , while the RF Marketplace isn't exactly a hot one…  so, in the SL field they MUST keep a focused eye () and plan a certain flow of announcements , because the big players do move too. M Market is another world… we can wait…  

Edited November 9, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[adan]

1. The SL is a new system, with a limited number of lenses so far. Whereas there is a "full set" of lenses for the M currently in production - from 16-135mm (not even counting Zeiss and C/V - or Leica lenses from up to 75 years ago). The SL system needs the attention and development more than the M - it is running 20 lenses behind. (and don't mention zooms - not until a 24-90 weighs the same as a 24 prime or a 90 prime by itself - I only shoot with one focal length per picture ).

2. Leica just opened up the SL mount to Panasonic (long-time partner) and Sigma - which rather kills the idea that exclusivity or non-exclusivity of the lens mount has much to do with anything. Leica will be competing (in a friendly way) with Sigma and Panasonic with the SL, just as they compete with Zeiss and C/V with the M.

https://www.sigmaphoto.com/article/l-mount-alliance-sigma-leica-panasonic

Of course, that probably has something to do with (1). Getting the SL lens line "up to speed" was just putting too much stress on Leica's design and production capabilities, so they are farming out the lens mount to add lenses they don't have time or staff to create themselves. Sigma can "port" a 70-200 f/2.8 to SL mount probably years sooner than Leica can get a 70-180 f/2.8 Vario-Elmarit out the door themselves.

Which Leitz/Leica has done throughout its history, from the 50mm Xenon/Summarit f/1.5 (a Schneider design "bought in"), through the original M 21mm and 15mm (Schneider Super-Angulons and Zeiss Hologon) and the partnership with Minolta (CL 40 and 90 lenses, later a 28mm Rokkor, 16-24-misc zooms for the R), and back to Schneider and Zeiss for the 21mm Super-Angulon-R f/4 and 15mm Super-Elmar (15mm Distagon clone). And Schneider again for the 28 and 35 shift lenses.

[PeterGA]

The SL2 will be announced in 2019 according to a Leica spokesperson (cited in previous post)  - fantastic news for SL shooters as is the L 'alliance' - which means people will have choices for cheaper lenses from Sigma in particular who announced in Photokina - that they will be porting over 20 lenses in L mount by 2020. Leica are the only company which makes apc/35mm in Rangefinder and EVF bodiy types, as well as larger than 35mm chipped MF cameras - the company is getting stronger every year in the niches it operates in and with the 'alliance' is set to benefit Leica from licensing revenue which will further strengthen its recurring cash flow.

Truly a remarkable transformation of the company over the last 10 years.

[Dr No]

As I am understanding Leica is the only company to make compact, APS-C, 35mm and Medium Format cameras. It is impressive ono denials of this. Add to that the Huawei and L alliance and it is looking like a very bright future. How the M will fit into these and what is of future no one knows. I am part wonderings if the M-D concept is how the M will end up. M-D for digital and M-A for analogue.

[johnbuckley]

The camera business is a pretty brutal place to be, as all those manufacturers of point and shoot cameras have learned.  The high-end DSLR portion of the business is being squeezed between new Medium Format entrants and some incredible mirrorless cameras.  If you step back and look at Leica's strategy over the past five years, it's quite impressive.

They've launched a mirrorless system that is sufficiently popular, Sigma and Panasonic are joining forces with it.

The M10 is, I think most of us would agree, a really excellent digital rangefinder.  This "niche product", the M, is still the flagship.

They have, as others on this thread have stated, staked out positions on the continuum between APS-C and Medium Format, with expensive cameras people are willing to pay for.  They don't break out the sales for each camera line, but I've no doubt that Leica's comparatively small manufacturing plants are working at or near capacity.

The M remains the glamorous alternative to the main photography market.  The SL is -- and will be even more so when the SL2 makes its form factor more appealing and its pixel count more competitive -- a wonderful camera.  I have never used an S, but everything I know says that it is, in its niche, both a beast and a success.  The Q gets less attention, maybe, but if you read LFI, and see how many of the images are from a Q, good Lord, it's an amazing camera.  

Small as Leica may be, it has figured out how to survive and prosper, while expanding the ranks of the devoted.  With a strategy of expanding company stores, entering rich markets (China, etc.), creating small-batch weirdo products that get loads of notice (the M10-D, etc.), delegating to Panasonic the low-end of the product range, this is a company with wise product management, and wise management, period.