Panasonic in talks to buy Leica from Mr. Kaufmann

[SteveYork]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Pre-Panasonic non-asian made Leica stuff would sky-rocket in value. I'm not trying to make a discriminatory statement, it's just how I see collectors affecting the value of camera pieces. This assumes film stays available, which it will.

 

I don't think it is a "death sentence" for the Leica quality we all love. Think of Accord/Honda and Lexus/Toyoto. Or for that matter, Audi/Volkswagen. Ultimately, it may be very good for the consumer.

[earleygallery]

BBC NEWS | Business | Pioneer announces 10,000 job cuts

 

More bad news from Japan. Most co's are cutting costs, focussing on core activities and dropping less profitable lines. That should provide all the answers you need.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[lct]

...Ultimately, it may be very good for the consumer.

Yes if Pana continue rangefinders but why would they do that actually? Too complicated and expensive to build. Anne ma soeur Anne, ne vois-tu rien venir? Yes i see an EVIL coming.

[SteveYork]

It seems to me we are getting to the point where the advances in digital will level off. People no longer feel the need to get the latest and best, because what they have is very good. That wasn't the case back in the early part of this decade.

 

And it is in this environment that Leica can become profitable again, because people can pay their crazy prices and be happy with the product for years to come, not feeling the need to upgrade. By they way, all top end digital is "crazy prices." All Leica needs is an autofocus R10 -- to bring all those Nikon and Cannon users into the fold -- and a full frame digital M, to maximize sales among the existing rangefinder people. That's actually asking quite a bit, isn't it?

 

Having weathered the storm, why would Leica now throw in the towel? (sorry for the trite double cliches).

 

Unless they are so bad off that they have no choice.

[SteveYork]

It's hard to envision how Leica is making money in this global recession. Maybe the situation is dire?

[petermcwerner]

Yes if Pana continue rangefinders but why would they do that actually? Too complicated and expensive to build. Anne ma soeur Anne, ne vois-tu rien venir?

There is a happy end to that story:

 

Il se trouva que la Barbe bleue n'avait point d'héritiers, et qu'ainsi sa femme demeura maîtresse de tous ses biens. Elle en employa une partie à marier sa soeur Anne avec un jeune gentilhomme dont elle était aimée depuis longtemps ; une autre partie à acheter des charges de capitaines à ses deux frères, et le reste à se marier elle-même à un fort honnête homme, qui lui fit oublier le mauvais temps qu'elle avait passé avec la Barbe bleue.

[ruiespanhol]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Only if you are willing to accept a Japanese/Chinese made, mass-produced "Leica".

 

That's not a Leica, in my book. A Leica is hand made, in Portugal these days, by people who care about what they are doing, more than just by turning up to work in the morning and running a factory line, alongside toasters and TVs

 

Will Panasonic still be servicing these "Leicas" in 30, 40 or 50 years time? I doubt it. That's one of the things that you are buying into when you pay that Leica premium, IMHO. The ability to put a camera made before your father was born into perfect working order.

 

 

´´A Leica is hand made, in Portugal these days, by people who care about what they are doing, more than just by turning up to work in the morning and running a factory line, alongside toasters and TVs``

That´s Right!!!

I Full agree whit You.

 

Best

[sdai]

One fact many folks deliberately ignored or tries to ignore ...

 

The Digilux 2 is not designed by Leica. Panasonic designed it, built it ... it is called LC1, Leica took it and made some cosmetic facelit, doubled the price and then put it on the shelf.

 

FWIW, the silver top plate of the Digilux2 looks so freaking ugly and the all black LC1 just seemed to be more "professional".

[Riley]

yes its interesting isnt it

lets not forget that, Panasonic just swallowed Sanyo

who are Sanyo? look on the four-thirds membership page, theyve been there since 2004

Four Thirds | About Four Thirds | Supporting Companies

 

and oh look, Leica is still there, thats nice...

 

Sanyo make some Olympus cameras, they did the E1

they make compacts under contract for any number of other manufacturers

that includes Nikon. So now Panasonic can tell Nikon, guess who's sensors youre using in your/our compacts now.

 

Some months ago, Olympus put out stock market notes to prevent takeover, wonder why they did that...

 

Panasonic would see this as an opportunity, Sanyo would never be cheaper, better to score them now and take the pain by making cuts (that would be needed anyway). It sounds far fetched about Leica, but it isnt the first time I have heard this. In a way, I wouldnt be surprised.

[ErikFive]

Hmm... The same optics made in Japan for half the price? Fine by me. Maybe Leica could get as good service as Zeiss as well.

[andybarton]

Interesting question as to whether the Japanese could make the same optics in Japan for half the price.

[Riley]

Interesting question as to whether the Japanese could make the same optics in Japan for half the price.

 

probably

the billets come from China, the lens are machine ground by robots. Considering the origins of Panasonic their lenses aren't half bad, they have benefited from the Leica experience. So one could imagine a closer tolerance design than could be executed by hand, a more refined process without plastic parts, without euro-labor costs and taxes.

[andybarton]

Have you seen how lenses are made in Solms?

[Riley]

Have you seen how lenses are made in Solms?

 

no I havent, I have some idea in my head that their camera division looks like a job shop, when they should probably be batch producing. I have seen photos of some of Panasonics operation, it looks like a clean room for brain surgery.

[stunsworth]

How much Nikon and Canon high end stuff is built by robots? Not a rhetorical question as I have no idea of the answer and wouldn't mind knowing.

[stunsworth]

no I havent, I have some idea in my head that their camera division looks like a job shop, when they should probably be batch producing

 

They produce in batches, that's why some lenses occasionally become unavailable for longer than you'd expect.

[jbstitt]

I personally do not think it would be such a bad thing. With a few exceptions Leica has not been such and outstanding body manufacturer for some time. Their electronics suck. They have subed out almost all of this. What Leica excells at is optical design and precision optical manufacturing, which is not really Panasonic's strong point. Panasonic is willing to be innovative evidence the G1 while Leica is definitely not. Now people are buying G1s to use their Leica M lenses like crazy! So as long as Panasonic capitalized on the assets of each company and did not just by the brand name it could be a good marriage.

[Riley]

They produce in batches, that's why some lenses occasionally become unavailable for longer than you'd expect.

 

I should explain, I have spoken to someone who has been there, and he described it as a job shop.

 

Another aspect is this, are they making a profit from lenses right now? I recall a business investigation into Morgan cars on Tv once, they still had wooden frames, and hand beaten body parts. Cars were rolled around the factory on their own wheels awkwardly around corners and outside through lanes, on through the paint process etc until completion. They were not making a profit, but they had a waiting list of 8 years!

[andybarton]

You dont get Leica quality in a job shop

 

The part of the factory where the lenses are made is sealed from the rest, populated by people in White coats , with kit that tests and checks every single element. It's very sophisticated and it takes hours to make each element

 

The metal parts are precision made (the cut away Tri-Elmar is a work of art)

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Riley]

How much Nikon and Canon high end stuff is built by robots? Not a rhetorical question as I have no idea of the answer and wouldn't mind knowing.

 

I dont know much about them, but if canon wides are anything to go by.....

I can say this, the billets for Canon and Panasonic superzoom cameras were sourced from the same foundry in China, but pannys FZ lenses ended up easily superior to Canons S2. Some of what they were doing was said to be their QC in selecting billets