Erwin on Leicas future

digitalintrigue said:
Dear God, save me (us) from any discussions of $3,000 mediocre digital backs. Amen.
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Keep prayers to yourself and save yourself by keeping out of the discussion.
 
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Sorry I couldn't read the whole thread. I hope I'm not being redundant. It is indeed a tough market out there! Ask your local car dealer how he's doing. The dollar is in the dumper. Oil sells for $100/barrel. Nice people are losing their homes, and the dominoes from that mess just keep falling. Not very many folks have the disposable income for the M7/MP/M8, but we'll see better times. I think Leica should hunker down and ride it out. Hell, didn't Erwin say they showed a profit last quarter? The people I work for would trade places with them in a heartbeat.
VS
 
I love film and I love my M3 but if I ever get around to shoot color it will be digital.
Its hard to make decisions on this; I do not want to give up B&W; I like developing film and I love [wet] printing; I LOVE the compactness of my M3 and the beautiful glass that produces very sharp images, but if I ran Leica I do not know if I'd make rangefinders.
 
They should also make a more determined effort to expand their presence dramatically in China- their peformance there actually leaves a lot to be desired. It is also an ideal "positional" market to replace the traditional doctors and dentists of yore.

Start thinking of a new and more sophisticated strategy which capitalizes on the aspirational "needs" of local consumers!
 
Add to the product range, but keep M models as a niche, custom-made product. What is required is the LVMH business model, not the Pierre Cardin one.
 
newsgrunt said:
Don't know too many of my colleagues working at mid sized papers who would want/use a digital rf for work but I know some at large market dailies that would jump on one. Got a buddy at a large wire that begins with R who uses an Rd-1 but would go Leica if they had 24x36 and not so expensive.

For those who travel on assignment, having a small, discreet camera that doesn't scream "big honkin' dslr" is not a minor matter. If I had one when I was in China, I wouldn't have had to use my coolpix in a few spots. I don't want people to notice me and a dslr just asks for attention in some quarters.

It's not about going toe to toe with a 5d/D3 etc..It's about the right tool and for some, a ff digital M camera would be the right tool. Nothing more than that really.
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newsgrunt, that was exactly my thinking (or imagining, I'm not a pro so I can only guess on appropriateness). I was surprised by sitemistic's response, I would think it would be the tool of choice if a newspaper was sending their photojournalist to cover any sort of tragedy, where discreetness would be paramount (and civilized).
 
explain to me how the falling dollar only affects leica's prices but apparently the japanese makers of boxy, feature rich, slapping mirror devices are not affected at all? if anything their prices are falling.
 
The yen vs dollar has been oscillating around 105-120 for the last five years or so (or even longer) as opposed to the euro vs dollar, which has steadily risen from about 0.8 to 1.5 during a similar period.
 
sitemistic said:
When photographers cover tragedy, famine, war, and any of the other events that are perpetrated by humans against humans, the event itself is so obscene that to argue that a Leica is more civilized than a 5D borders on the bizarre. I can assure you when bodies and body parts are scattered all over the road after a horrific traffic accident, nobody is concerned about (or even notices) the size of a guys camera.
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IAWTC

Check James Nachtwey, for example, that guy is strictly Canon.

Now, that said, I'm sure Mr Nachtwey is using equipment that has, effectively, been given to him.

I'd like to see (or know) who Leica is giving the M8 to (i.e. not you guys here who are using it and had to fork over your hard earned $$$$ for it) for use in "the field".

The concept that you need a "quiet camera" that is "discreet" is something from the 1940's (or earlier).

We now live in a world where EVERYTHING is a camera. Answer your cell phone; it's a camera. Your laptop has a camera in it. I seem to recall Casio, at some point, making a watch with a camera in it. Look up on the lamp post; that's a camera up there! Even your Sony Playstation can be, with some rigging, have a camera added to it. Add to that the fact that everyone knows that there are cameras everywhere and in everything and that just makes the concept even more archaic.

There is no "discreetness" in this world anymore.

Being discreet is a lost art.

Take a look around - anything and everything is, as they say, "in your face"

I would think the only place you're going to have to be discreet with your camera is if you're intent on sneaking photos at a funeral.

Dave
 
sitemistic said:
"I would think it would be the tool of choice if a newspaper was sending their photojournalist to cover any sort of tragedy, where discreetness would be paramount (and civilized)."

When photographers cover tragedy, famine, war, and any of the other events that are perpetrated by humans against humans, the event itself is so obscene that to argue that a Leica is more civilized than a 5D borders on the bizarre. I can assure you when bodies and body parts are scattered all over the road after a horrific traffic accident, nobody is concerned about (or even notices) the size of a guys camera.
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I was thinking more like, you're covering the speech being given by the local mayor because the fire chief passed away, and you want a shot from inside the church.
There must be some times when something less "paparazzi" in style makes more sense, no ?
 
dcsang said:
IAWTC

Check James Nachtwey, for example, that guy is strictly Canon.

Now, that said, I'm sure Mr Nachtwey is using equipment that has, effectively, been given to him.

I'd like to see (or know) who Leica is giving the M8 to (i.e. not you guys here who are using it and had to fork over your hard earned $$$$ for it) for use in "the field".

The concept that you need a "quiet camera" that is "discreet" is something from the 1940's (or earlier).

We now live in a world where EVERYTHING is a camera. Answer your cell phone; it's a camera. Your laptop has a camera in it. I seem to recall Casio, at some point, making a watch with a camera in it. Look up on the lamp post; that's a camera up there! Even your Sony Playstation can be, with some rigging, have a camera added to it. Add to that the fact that everyone knows that there are cameras everywhere and in everything and that just makes the concept even more archaic.

There is no "discreetness" in this world anymore.

Being discreet is a lost art.

Take a look around - anything and everything is, as they say, "in your face"

I would think the only place you're going to have to be discreet with your camera is if you're intent on sneaking photos at a funeral.

Dave
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Funny, I was thinking "funeral" and you posted that !
Well, maybe you're right. Everything is "in your face". And we are a society of sheep, so lets follow the crowd mentality and do as everyone does.
The point I'm trying to make is, surely there are times when a 5D isn't necessary. I mean, I'm nothing more than a hobbyist, and I myself prefer to walk around town with a rangefinder. If I'm trying to photograph wildlife or landscapes, I prefer an slr.
 
nextreme said:
Funny, I was thinking "funeral" and you posted that !
Well, maybe you're right. Everything is "in your face". And we are a society of sheep, so lets follow the crowd mentality and do as everyone does.
The point I'm trying to make is, surely there are times when a 5D isn't necessary. I mean, I'm nothing more than a hobbyist, and I myself prefer to walk around town with a rangefinder. If I'm trying to photograph wildlife or landscapes, I prefer an slr.
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I completely agree that there are many times when a large SLR is not necessary - and , as you said, if you're just shooting for yourself, then use whatever camera system you feel best suits your needs (and, depending on who you are, your pocketbook).

I've got nothing against RF's (look at the gear I have) but I always, for some reason, have this problem with the concept that if I use my Leica M system (or any RF for that matter) I'm suddenly camouflaged and less noticeable to everyone.

As I've said before here, the moment you bring that camera up to take a photo, someone, somewhere, notices the fact that you're taking an image. It may not be the subject but regardless, you're not as hidden as you may think you are.

With everyone in our world being so twitchy (and even more so in North America and parts of Europe) when it comes to terrorism; a guy standing quietly on the corner trying to look discreet is usually anything but. :)

Cheers
Dave
 
sitemistic said:
...I can assure you when bodies and body parts are scattered all over the road after a horrific traffic accident, nobody is concerned about (or even notices) the size of a guys camera.
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I'd guess that most photojournalists who would be using an M8 would not be covering something like a traffic accident. My use of an M8 or whatever would most likely not be daily coverage, it'd be long term projects or travel where travelling light and working close is called for. ymmv
 
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