Yep, you can bet your Dektol on it.
Yep, you can bet your Dektol on it.
While CV is a small part of the Cosina business, it is growing and profitable. If anyone has not been counting, Mr. K's factory has introduced more new 35mm rangefinders, lenses, and accessories since 1999 than the rest of the rest of the camera world combined. This is true both in volume, and in terms of numbers of models.
A dedicated RF enthusiaist, Mr. K's four factories are also the world's number one manufacturer of projection lenses and surveillance lenses, not to mention OEM products for other companies which range from completed cameras or lenses to even raw glass, lens elements, or lens barrels.
Mr. K is able to make a profit on smaller production runs in thousands that would be economically unfeasible for huge automated plants due to a secret production technique: real human workers. Cosina's products are assembled by hand. The huge overhead associated with producing new machines or new programs for every new product does not exist at Cosina.
Contrary to speculation, there is virtually no chance Cosina would ever buy Leica. It's quite simple. Mr. K does not need to. IF he ever decided to go into the super high end rangefinder market, he can do it without Leica.
Because of Cosina's expertise combined with relatively low overhead and a huge film market that other camera makers are backing away from, it's my own guess that Cosina is the best bet to eventually become the last 35mm camera manufacturer in Japan.
Stephen Gandy
