Is Voigtlander Cosina here to stay?

[Stu W]

I was curious why any company would invest in film camera and lens production in this day and age. I own a couple of VC lenses and they're great-I can't see any diff between them and my Leica's, but then agin I'm not the best photographer in the world. I just think that they're targeting a very narrow market. Is the company doing well? Stu

 

[Ash]

According to RJ Lam, the CV lenses aren't the best when prints are enlarged quite big (I can't remember details, its in an email from him somewhere as a passing thought after chatter about fsu's), but at the price and quality I hope they're around for a long time. I'd like to get my hands on a few in the future, also I love my Cosina CT-1 slr, so I wouldn't mind eventually getting a Bessa.

As long as people keep up the demand, CV will produce... I hope!!

 

[Kyle]

Well, they've been developing cameras under the Cosina Voigtlander name for about 10 years now (I think). To this day they're still releasing new cameras (R4A/M comes out next April, R2M/R3M came out earlier this year, etc), so I'd say thats a good sign. If they weren't doing well they wouldn't be releasing these new products. Yes, its a very narrow market, but its a market thats there and obviously needs to be filled, otherwise they wouldn't be in business.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

One can argue that Leica is a niche market as well 😉

 

[Toby]

Cosina make a lot of things for other manufacturers and they are one of the few companies that makes its own glass. I don't know if VC is even the biggest part of the business

 

[BillBingham2]

From what I know, CV is not a large part of Cosina's business, but it is heavily leveraged from work they do for other folks. The lenses from my experience are fine for big enlargements, but then again, how big is big?

I look at CV as a way to bring fun and somewhat profitable items to market that show other MFGs that might want Cosina to build something for them that Cosina can do a great job.

My guess is that they will keep building film cameras as long as they can get new parts and people keep buying them.

B2 (;->

 

[clintock]

Cosina will buy Leitz

 

[back alley]

Cosina will buy Leitz

...and plummet the world into darkness...

do you realize that this comment will have sent absolute chills up the spines of so many people?

joe

 

[Stu W]

Cosina will buy Leitz

Hmmm, sounds like a plan.

 

[clintock]

..well just the Leica Camera AG part-- let them keep the 'Digilux' name for all the digital trinkets and the German shell of Leica can sell that stuff under the Minox brand.

 

[BillBingham2]

I thought Chrystler is for sale, perhaps that might be easier to make profitable!

B2 (;->

 

[brachal]

I remember seeing an article a while back (can't remember where, sorry) that while the market for Bessas was marginal in the US, they were very popular in Japan.

 

[Crasis]

From what I've heard, essentially Mr. Kobayashi makes lenses and cameras for himself and his friends. Others just happen to want to own them and use them as well 😉

 

[amateriat]

Remember too that the vacuum left by other manufacturers in the mainstream film-camera market has reduced the competition factor somewhat, making it a bit easier for Cosina to keep new product moving along while making the endeavor reasonably worthwhile (I doubt Mr. K is making a mint with Vöigtlander, but is probably doing okay). Cosina takes the low road, Solms takes the high road, Zeiss takes the occasional bite at Leica's ankles, and we now have at least two digital options. However you slice it, the RF world's looking better at this moment than any of us might have had a right to expect.


- Barrett

 

[Bryce]

It wouldn't be hard to argue that Leica is alive today because of CV. I say long live both of them!

 

[KoNickon]

Cosina buying Leica -- you're right, Joe. The idea that Leica stays in business owing to the benificence of this "inferior" (and Japanese!) upstart might be too much for some people to bear. We do know that Mr. Kobayashi is a huge admirer of Leica, so should this ever come to pass, he'd do whatever it takes to keep Leica going.

But he has to answer to a board, and who knows whether they'd seriously contemplate such a thing. Speaking of which, if I were a board member of Cosina, I would be wondering about digital, and whether there's a future for film cameras. Does Cosina make any digital products at all?

 

[Bryce]

Nick-
Yes CV builds a digital camera, at least in part- the first digital rangefinder to hit the market by I think 2 or 3 years- the Epson RD-1.
Let's hope it gets a replacement with more up to date sensor and software!

 

[Ash]

Even without the Cosina brandname on the front, Cosi will always be a camera body manufacturer, as is their legacy, so no doubt a lot of 'good' digital cameras will end up in a Cosi shell as the market evolves

 

[Xmas]

They seem to have Zeiss already why would they want Leitz as well, to corner the market, Leitz is not competing with them?

They are batching production and seem to make more while it sells, some of their kit has not sold. I'm saving for a SC 28mm, missed the 12 and 15mm.

Noel

 

[KoNickon]

Bryce -- of course, I forgot about the Epson. But I don't see that as a mass market camera, and I'm thinking Cosina should be manufacturing "bread and butter" digicams in order to keep itself afloat.