LFI Interview with Andreas Kaufmann

[gravastar]

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http://www.lfi-online.de/ceemes/base.php?webfile/show/1851/

 

 

Bob.

[luigi bertolotti]

"I can assure you that we have every intention of leaving a mark in the single lens reflex sector, but that’s all I can say for now."

 

Arise your spirits, You R-lovers !

 

The rest is standard... a curious phrase about Lee'story can even be interpreted as Steven Lee was forced out for someone decided Kaufman had to have a stable job..

[sdai]

Too many interviews, and no new products.

 

But it's a very positive one IMO ... let take a look at the last sentence:

 

we will create a concise company structure, redefine the projects, prune off some of the wild growth and then march forward.

Dr. Kaufmann also says:

 

My sense of responsibility towards the staff and company made me see no other way than to accept the situation. It’s not so much about the next Photokina as the

time afterwards and the future of the cameras – how they’ll look in the year 2015.

If he was referring the wild growth to the frankenstein AF SLR ... then I'm very happy.

 

We probably will not see a "R10" at this photokina afterall, they may only give us a "clue" as once was included in Olaf's interview but, THAT'S OK! As long as the next model is a natural evolution from the R9, I can wait.

 

Leica should not cross the border, rather, they could climb up higher.

[jaapv]

Hmm... The first thing that sprang into my mind reading this were the words "damage control" Dr. Kaufmann has quite a job in reestablishing confidence, as not the products but the woes of the company have become the main subject or worry over a considerable number of years. If he manages to lift the spirit of the Leica work force, as he seems to be doing and manages to "export" that feeling to the customers through the dealer network, he will have a winner.

A good example in here in our country. For many years Leica was represented by a small firm, Odin. It was great, the sold Leica, Minox and suchlike.I often went there for a chat (and more than once that ended in a buy too, I must atmit )

That company died through mismanagment a few years ago, and now Leica is represented by a large sell-everything-photographic firm. Not a bad one as those firms go, but the "Leica feeling", often ridiculed, but an essential marketing tool nevertheless, has been lost. The brand needs to be personalized somehow over here again as well.

[zapp]

"I can assure you that we have every intention of leaving a mark in the single lens reflex sector, but that’s all I can say for now."

 

Arise your spirits, You R-lovers !

 

The rest is standard... a curious phrase about Lee'story can even be interpreted as Steven Lee was forced out for someone decided Kaufman had to have a stable job..

 

Come on quote the whole paragraph:

Kaufmann: The R is a beautiful camera,

but today’s market gives preference to

other products. I can assure you that we

have every intention of leaving a mark in

the single lens reflex sector, but that’s all

I can say for now.

 

Not a market preference is a strong term, and who cares what Leica wants to be, all depends on what they will do.

 

Now let me quote a couple words (sorry,also not a full sentence)

 

since the market is

simply steering toward SLR, high sensor

resolution and so on.

 

This is somehow contradictory to what he said in the statement further above. Let's say he is not the PR manager streamlining his comments, but he is the boss and Leica will do what he wants.

[wildlightphoto]

Perhaps an interpretation by a professional English/German translator (who is also a Leica user) of the interview in its original German will help:

 

FreeLists / leicareflex / [LRflex] Kaufmann Interview - reading into the German version

[sdai]

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I think Mr. Sharp was looking at Olaf's interview (which is different from the LFI interview) in which Dr. K says:

 

Es soll die Bedürfnisse der Kunden weit übererfüllen.

 

Which in English is ... It will far exceeds the customers' needs.

 

I can not speak for others but hey, I am not expecting anything exeeding my needs, and I am NOT going to pay for anything I don't need.

 

To be precise, what I want is a manual focus digital SLR which provides full native support of existing R lenses.

 

If I want medium format, auto focus ... Leica is not my choice.

[wildlightphoto]

I am NOT going to pay for anything I don't need.

 

No matter what camera you use you've already paid for things you don't need. Any unused feature is one you've paid for.

[sdai]

No matter what camera you use you've already paid for things you don't need. Any unused feature is one you've paid for.

 

Well, the point is, Leica is known for 35mm and simplicity, ... if they go for medium format, people will compare them to Hasselblad, if they go for auto focus, they are side by side against Canon, Nikon ...

 

I am sure all Leica engineers are geniuses, but there's no need to prove that by doing something "new".

 

Leica stays as a valid alternative to many photographers because they're now the only serious manual focus game in town, not because they "can do" what the Japanese can do.

 

Wheels need not to be reinvented, they just need to build a newer/better wheel.

 

Keep the DMR, one of the reasons why Leica gears can retain their value is because people can always find that older models are actually more interesting than newer ones.

 

The SL2 are now harder to find than ever ... probably it's all because of Doug.

[Angora]

To be precise, what I want is a manual focus digital SLR which provides full native support of existing R lenses.

 

If I want medium format, auto focus ... Leica is not my choice.

 

Agreed.

[FMB]

Me too.