andybarton Posted February 11, 2009 Share #81 Posted February 11, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Are you sure? From what I've heard, some parts are made in Portugal, but not the whole camera. About 95% (?) of the camera is made and assembled in Portugal If you go to Solms, you can see the workers there fixing the final parts and wiping off the fingerprints - just enough to qualify for a "Made in Germany" engraving on the back. It's been that way for many years, from what I understand. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Hi andybarton, Take a look here Panasonic in talks to buy Leica from Mr. Kaufmann. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
luigi bertolotti Posted February 11, 2009 Share #82 Posted February 11, 2009 Are you sure this 'serious banker didn't just omit the indefinite article by mistake? Maybe Panasonic are thinking of buying 'a Leica', rather than 'Leica'. ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS THREAD !!! All these rumors... it can be obvious that Dr. Kaufmann, sometimes, has some meeting with Pana executives... they'll discuss on financials too... and a banker obviously thinks at once to the interesting fees on some M&A biz... and Leica is still a public company only in theory... a disclosure-outing like this is even not too much to blame in ethical terms: probably, this possible biz makes rumor much more here than in stock markets... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raf DeBoeck Posted February 11, 2009 Share #83 Posted February 11, 2009 If Panasonic buys Leica, they may actually get a modern assembly line, that would allow Leica to sell cameras at more realistic prices, even if they were still made in Germany (in that new factory they are building in Wetzlar). Highend Nikon's and Canon's are still assembled largely by hand and for the most part sell for sane prices. There's no reason why Leica couldn't do the same. If Panasonic do take over Leica and decrease the prices, which they probably would, where would most of the current LUF members move to. Leica becoming a "common" brand would certainly deter some users here to other brands. Fancy your next door neighbor "joe the plumber" owning a "genuine" Leica camera .... total devastation for some.... Let alone the sales of Billingham hadleys and such. Perhaps they would revert to non-photographic items like diamond covered iPhones and such. Out of place I know .... but a bunch of Leica know it all's not able to answer a simple question of depth of field and sensor size used makes me wonder what it is that rives these folks.... 35mm or 50mm on an M8 and it's optical rendition is clear, you can look it up, calculate it easy (like I did) but no, LUF forum members must argue and argue about it, not getting near the absolute resolution to the problem, just stating their own ideas time after time after time after time. And It's these folks I would like to gain experience from .... hehehehehehe DPR forum provides more useful information than all this blabla here. And yes I will return to this forum if only for the amusement factor, but certainly not to gain any sort of knowledge. For amusing it is, greatly amusing actually but alas knowledgeable it is not, just amusing, thats all...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 11, 2009 Share #84 Posted February 11, 2009 18mm f3.8 That was let slip last week. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdai Posted February 11, 2009 Share #85 Posted February 11, 2009 Sure. And the first thing they ask you in China, is 'is it assembled in China or a real one?'. People are paying high taxes in China to get 'the real thing', although the quality of the Changchung assembly line might well me up to those in Regensburg or Munich. There is something intangible about these products or we would all be driving Skodas. Same in Japan ... Japanese people treat Leica as the mother of all cameras and their worship to the brand has long gone extreme and I wonder why there's nobody building a temple or shrine for the darned camera. LOL Things are changing everyday, last time Honda did an internal QC and to everyone's surprise, their factory in Guangzhou beat all Japanese counterparts and scored the highest mark. Like I have said many times, Panasonic probably will treat Leica very nicely if it really happens, Yamaha bought Vienna's Boesendorfer and the last time I fondled with a 225 it still sound the same. I know it's only an internet forum's 2 penny worth but I really hope this one is for real. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdai Posted February 11, 2009 Share #86 Posted February 11, 2009 Sure. And the first thing they ask you in China about a BMW is 'is it assembled in China or a real one?'. People are paying high taxes in China to get 'the real thing', although the quality of the Shenyang lines might well me up to those in Regensburg or Munich. There are certainly many people in China who have more cash than brain ... understandable when people turned rich overnight and just don't have a clue to where to spend their quick money. So they fly to Paris just for the most expensive LV bag only to find it's made in their home country. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 11, 2009 Share #87 Posted February 11, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) And yes I will return to this forum if only for the amusement factor, but certainly not to gain any sort of knowledge. For amusing it is, greatly amusing actually but alas knowledgeable it is not, just amusing, thats all...... I'm sure you'll be missed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted February 11, 2009 Share #88 Posted February 11, 2009 I'm sure you'll be missed. Not if I'm driving ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdai Posted February 11, 2009 Share #89 Posted February 11, 2009 Being a Leica aficionado 101: Never say that you'll never buy another Leica once again Never say that you'll never come on this board again ... of course, the S2 forum is an exception and I'm sure it's the first on Panasonic's chopboard if the takeover really happens. LOL If you can't do this, then you're not ready Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mym6is12 Posted February 11, 2009 Share #90 Posted February 11, 2009 The continuation of the lens cash back offers, would suggest that cash raising efforts had failed to reach their targets. So perhaps, if there is any foundation to this rumor, to ease the medium term cash flow problem of massive R&D and minimal sales, Leica asked/begged Panasonic for another loan. Under the current trading conditions, Panasonic's board would have to approve any amount however trivial. The conditions attached could require Kaufmann a to hand over a large amount of control or tempt Panasonic with something equally at odds with Leica's pre-crunch plans. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosuna Posted February 11, 2009 Share #91 Posted February 11, 2009 I love rangefinder cameras. I will neve change my M for a reflex, made in Japan or Germany. Quality and scale determines manufacture technology and cost. The only variable Panasonic can change is scale, but high quality rangefinder cameras cannot be produced at low costs. I prefer a Leica owning their fate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 11, 2009 Share #92 Posted February 11, 2009 About 95% (?) of the camera is made and assembled in Portugal If you go to Solms, you can see the workers there fixing the final parts and wiping off the fingerprints - just enough to qualify for a "Made in Germany" engraving on the back. It's been that way for many years, from what I understand. TBH, if the "Made in Germany" label is a sham - as it is with the Porsche Cayenne - I'd much rather it was made in Japan. It might not be PC to raise the subject, but maybe the quality problems they've had with the M8 are because it's made in Portugal? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevelap Posted February 11, 2009 Share #93 Posted February 11, 2009 Not if I'm driving ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnastovall Posted February 11, 2009 Share #94 Posted February 11, 2009 It would be the end of Leica. We would see the S2, R10 and any future M's go the way of the Contax N. I would rather see Leica out of business than owned by Panasonic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 11, 2009 Share #95 Posted February 11, 2009 Guess where the rumour came from... http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/75552-re-wait-9.html#post804215 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtZ Posted February 11, 2009 Share #96 Posted February 11, 2009 Germany will not, and shouldn't, allow Leica to be sold to foreign companies. Leica is a symbol of German industry. I suppose Leica will benefit from public funds in support of the industry. The German government is supporting the financial and productive sectors during this terrible crisis. Rubén, are you sure? This is called protectionism... a very nasty word for European Authorities... and I doubt the European Commission and, even, Germany will accept it. Look what happens right now with the 6,5 billion French Plan to protect French automobiles (officially, to stop delocalization)... Germans were the first to complain about it... I really don't believe Germans will do something like that. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted February 11, 2009 Share #97 Posted February 11, 2009 This is what the internet does best, get the bees flying with some half baked rumour, posted by some faceless,unaccountable wannabe. It's nothing until the fat lady starts to sing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 11, 2009 Share #98 Posted February 11, 2009 Quite Rolls Royce and Bentley were symbols of British industry. Look what happened to them... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtZ Posted February 11, 2009 Share #99 Posted February 11, 2009 Quite Rolls Royce and Bentley were symbols of British industry. Look what happened to them... And Jaguar and Land Rover... Tata Motors now ? Humm... that had be difficult to swallow for Brits (just kidding) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barjohn Posted February 11, 2009 Share #100 Posted February 11, 2009 John, Sorry, but you need to get your history straight. Seymour Cray worked briefly for CDC, but started his own company, Cray Research in 1972, which produced the Cray 1. Larry Larry, Cray left CDC with CDC's assistance but he was one of the founders of CDC so he wasn't there for just a brief time. All of the original CDC computers were Cray designs. For a long time he gought agains going to integrated circuits versus discreet components becasue they were too slow. The 7900 preceeded the Cray 1 but all designs were done in his back yard lab. He didn't just instantly create the Cray 1 when he left CDC. CDC was an investor and supporter of the Cray company and allowed him to take his designs with him. Soemthing CDC was known for doing with some others. I took a design from CDC's government systems division to Modular Computers around the same time frame. MODCOMP had a machine built from the design. I left to start another company shortly before it was supposed to go to market and MODCOMP decided to go chasing the PC business. I worked for CDC from around 1968 to 1972 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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