Some suggestions for Leica

[Guest makron]

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Just want to chip in some suggestions for Leica after reading for a while recently (I've not been following any Leica development for some time). These may have been brought up before, nevertheless, here are what I think should be good for Leica:

 

1) Focus on the M system (obviously)

BUT have a cheaper M camera. That's to have a high end M and a lesser M. Fantastic lenses. Go for emotional appeal.

 

2) Drop all Leica brand compact camera products.

 

3) Drop the 4/3 system

 

4) Drop the R or any SLR system and convert the R lenses to adapt on Nikon, Canon and 4/3 (like what Zeiss is doing)

 

5) Think of nothing except lenses and the M system.

 

Hope this helps (if anyone cares)

 

Just my 0.02 worth. You can also consider making me the CEO

 

If you've made it this far, thanks a lot for reading!

[JBA]

Couldn't agree less with #4 especially.

[pascal_meheut]

Thank you so much for sharing your huge expertise in photo company management.

Now that you are at it, can you also advise the Fed & the Treasury on the best way to avoid future financial crisis, the DoD on how to win the wars in Irak and Afghanistan ?

[farnz]

... You can also consider making me the CEO

Would that be Chief Extinction Officer?

 

I don't disagree with all of your points but the words "eggs", "basket" and "one" could be rearranged to make a well-known phrase or saying. Leica has done exceptionally well to rescue itself from the brink of extinction in the 1990s and it seems to me that this is the time when Leica needs to secure its future by using its strong brand to diversify into parallel markets.

 

Pete.

[SJP]

I agree with Pete, diversification is the game they should play.

 

In relation to this, so far I have not seen any excitement about the Pradovit digital projector. This seems like a very interesting product for the pro/semi-pro market (universities, conference centres etc.). Has anyone seen anything on how that is landing in the marketplace?

 

The Pradovit projectors used to be one of Leica's more succesful broad appeal products - even if you didn't have a M or R camera it was the 'gold standard for projection quality'.

[Guest makron]

Thank you so much for sharing your huge expertise in photo company management.

Now that you are at it, can you also advise the Fed & the Treasury on the best way to avoid future financial crisis, the DoD on how to win the wars in Irak and Afghanistan ?

 

Thanks for reading and making an effort to response

[Guest makron]

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Would that be Chief Extinction Officer?

 

I don't disagree with all of your points but the words "eggs", "basket" and "one" could be rearranged to make a well-known phrase or saying. Leica has done exceptionally well to rescue itself from the brink of extinction in the 1990s and it seems to me that this is the time when Leica needs to secure its future by using its strong brand to diversify into parallel markets.

 

Pete.

 

 

..hehehe...

 

I was referring to the rebadged compact and 4/3 cameras made by Panasonic. I do agree that Leica needs to diversify into parallel markets, such as lenses for compact cameras, 4/3, video cameras, phone cameras etc. This is where Leica is at its best : lenses.

 

With limited resources, Leica should channel much to the M system (M lenses and camera). having a digital system ie. lenses + camera is very resource demanding.

 

There's no questions about the importance of lenses.

 

As for the digital camera part, it must be developed close to the pace of the rest of the industry for the whole system to generate interest (read resource intensive). Leica cannot afford to be out of touch with the industry.

 

Having a lesser M8 would help significantly in the sales of M lenses instead of a 4/3 Leica camera. The 4/3 camera can be better left to Panasonic while Leica supports with high performance 4/3 usable lenses (may not be dedicated 4/3 lenses).

 

just some thoughts.

[ruiespanhol]

Just want to chip in some suggestions for Leica after reading for a while recently (I've not been following any Leica development for some time). These may have been brought up before, nevertheless, here are what I think should be good for Leica:

 

1) Focus on the M system (obviously)

BUT have a cheaper M camera. That's to have a high end M and a lesser M. Fantastic lenses. Go for emotional appeal.

 

2) Drop all Leica brand compact camera products.

 

3) Drop the 4/3 system

 

4) Drop the R or any SLR system and convert the R lenses to adapt on Nikon, Canon and 4/3 (like what Zeiss is doing)

 

5) Think of nothing except lenses and the M system.

 

Hope this helps (if anyone cares)

 

Just my 0.02 worth. You can also consider making me the CEO

 

If you've made it this far, thanks a lot for reading!

 

Read your post the better is drop Leica company inself:D

Leica nead the compact cameras becuase they generate much money and atracts mores costumers for the brand.

Also the SLR range is necessary because Leica have many R users who like to buy one new R Digital as soon they are in the market(like me).

Focusing only in M cameras should be one disaster for Leica im my opinion.

 

Best,

[Ruhayat]

I was thinking along the same lines, particularly with regards to dropping the R bodies and turning the SLR line into making lenses for other mounts only. I don't see why this can't work: last week I bought a used Olympus E1 body and am getting my first Summicron-R for it, a 50mm. If all goes to plan, this will quickly be joined by a 35mm Summilux-R, and either 60mm or 100mm Macro by end of the year.

 

To the customer it's a "win" -- I get a cheapish body to mount lovely Leica glass on. To Leica it is also a "win" -- already, they are getting 3 new purchases that otherwise would not have been made, seeing that I probably wouldn't be able to afford an R10, and would much rather focus my resources on acquiring an M body anyway.

 

But with the new S system Leica seems to be signalling that it intends to focus its own R&D efforts on ultra-high-end products, and rely on Panasonic for the "sales volume" stuff. On paper I can see how this could be an effective strategy: given the limited resources you'd want to utilise that to make the best products you can. And marketing-wise, it's better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big and fast-changing pond.

 

In any case, I wish them luck and hope they will succeed.

[mgcd]

Truly silly.

[Guest makron]

Read your post the better is drop Leica company inself:D

Leica nead the compact cameras becuase they generate much money and atracts mores costumers for the brand.

Also the SLR range is necessary because Leica have many R users who like to buy one new R Digital as soon they are in the market(like me).

Focusing only in M cameras should be one disaster for Leica im my opinion.

 

Best,

 

You could take a look at the Leica annual report for more information if you like. there are a number of things to analyse. Interesting stuff. Absolutely no mention of R. It was all about M.

[Guest makron]

Truly silly.

 

Would you care to share what is truely silly if you make an effort to response?.

 

Thanks for your post anyway

[Guest makron]

I was thinking along the same lines, particularly with regards to dropping the R bodies and turning the SLR line into making lenses for other mounts only. I don't see why this can't work: last week I bought a used Olympus E1 body and am getting my first Summicron-R for it, a 50mm. If all goes to plan, this will quickly be joined by a 35mm Summilux-R, and either 60mm or 100mm Macro by end of the year.

 

To the customer it's a "win" -- I get a cheapish body to mount lovely Leica glass on. To Leica it is also a "win" -- already, they are getting 3 new purchases that otherwise would not have been made, seeing that I probably wouldn't be able to afford an R10, and would much rather focus my resources on acquiring an M body anyway.

 

But with the new S system Leica seems to be signalling that it intends to focus its own R&D efforts on ultra-high-end products, and rely on Panasonic for the "sales volume" stuff. On paper I can see how this could be an effective strategy: given the limited resources you'd want to utilise that to make the best products you can. And marketing-wise, it's better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big and fast-changing pond.

 

In any case, I wish them luck and hope they will succeed.

 

Actually, the S system is in line with their motto or vision ie. best performance in the smallest package or something like that. One thing i know is that I can't afford it. Hope it'll be a sucess for them and eventually lead to a lesser camera that is affordable to me a few years down the road.

 

For now, think I'll just get a new (yeah!) and affordable digital camera and go back to my cave for a few years.

[mooky]

Boy, thanks for starting this thread.

 

It reminds me just how naive' I can be. Here I was thinking that today's news would keep this kind of talk quiet for a day or two.

[mgcd]

Would you care to share what is truely silly if you make an effort to response?.

 

Thanks for your post anyway

 

A positively silly thread.

[farnz]

Just want to chip in some suggestions for Leica after reading for a while recently (I've not been following any Leica development for some time). These may have been brought up before, nevertheless, here are what I think should be good for Leica:

 

1) Focus on the M system (obviously)

BUT have a cheaper M camera. That's to have a high end M and a lesser M. Fantastic lenses. Go for emotional appeal.

 

2) Drop all Leica brand compact camera products.

 

3) Drop the 4/3 system

 

4) Drop the R or any SLR system and convert the R lenses to adapt on Nikon, Canon and 4/3 (like what Zeiss is doing)

 

5) Think of nothing except lenses and the M system.

 

Hope this helps (if anyone cares)

 

Just my 0.02 worth. You can also consider making me the CEO

 

If you've made it this far, thanks a lot for reading!

Okay, in light of announcements at Photokina, let's look at whether Leica chose to do take your advice:

 

1) Nope.

2) Nope.

3) Yes, but they'd already said they were going to do that.

4) Nope.

5) Nope.

6) Nope.

 

Okay, you only had 5 suggestions but with your track record if you'd had 6 it's kinda likely they wouldn't've followed your advice on the 6th one either.

 

Pete.

[ruiespanhol]

You could take a look at the Leica annual report for more information if you like. there are a number of things to analyse. Interesting stuff. Absolutely no mention of R. It was all about M.

 

Because Leica not have one new R Digital body

That´s simple my friend.

If Leica made one I´m shure the results are very diferent:p

And the DMR takes better pictures then M8 and not nead IR filter:D

Sorry but I don´t like M cameras

 

Best,

[farnz]

Because Leica not have one new R Digital body

That´s simple my friend.

If Leica made one I´m shure the results are very diferent

And the DMR takes better pictures then M8 and not nead IR filter

Sorry but I don´t like M cameras

 

Best,

Don't be sorry, it's not your fault you can't use the best 35 mm format lenses on this planet.

 

Pete.

[luigi bertolotti]

Just want to chip in some suggestions for Leica after reading for a while recently (I've not been following any Leica development for some time). These may have been brought up before, nevertheless, here are what I think should be good for Leica:

 

1) Focus on the M system (obviously)

BUT have a cheaper M camera. That's to have a high end M and a lesser M. Fantastic lenses. Go for emotional appeal.

 

2) Drop all Leica brand compact camera products.

 

3) Drop the 4/3 system

 

4) Drop the R or any SLR system and convert the R lenses to adapt on Nikon, Canon and 4/3 (like what Zeiss is doing)

 

5) Think of nothing except lenses and the M system.

 

Hope this helps (if anyone cares)

 

Just my 0.02 worth. You can also consider making me the CEO

 

If you've made it this far, thanks a lot for reading!

 

Just my 0.02 answer (and, by myself, reluctant to accept a possible CEO nomination for me... tomorrow I'll write them discharging their kind proposal... )

 

1) Right, and I think thay plan for a less costly M... with a timing to be carefully stated.

2) No, putting the Leica name on Panasonic cameras helps to make tha brand familiar with new generations, and selling SOME model with the Leica name doesn't hurt : people know it's a simple rename, and if someone likes to pay a premium for brand & some cosmetic, so better for them.

3) They have started to put them apart from the 4/3 adventure, and, thanks to the Panasonic link, have the easy capabilty to reenter if it magically catches on.

4) Becoming a pure lens maker is a downgrading, for them... and I think thay still cannot ignore the DSLR concept... hope for them that S2 can find a niche to re-enter the pro market: for what is known at this moment the tentative seems to me well adressed. Agree that the "standard" DSLR market can be too dangerous for them, so... tend frankly to be dubious about the success of a possible "R10"

5) NOT POSSIBLE : DRF is too a niche market... cannot imagine it broadens.

 

You imagine a company that makes the M system plus lenses for DSLRs : I doubt the company can survive on these product lines only.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[mgcd]

Don't be sorry, it's not your fault you can't use the best 35 mm format lenses on this planet.

 

Pete.

 

But he already does: They're called R lenses.