Leica should offer film processing..

[Huss]

In it's Leica Shops. Even if they just collect it and ship it out to a contracted vendor. It will give people more reason to shoot film, Leica has three current production film cameras, it will draw more people into their stores, Leica users or not.

Digital is dieing in the non pro market thanks to smart phones. Film, while a niche market, is showing resurgence. Leica is a niche player no matter what. This will connect them directly to being all about photography. It will link their past to their, and photographers, future.

It has to be a quality service, not the junk that was offered in drug stores in the past. It can be offered for a reasonable price, considering that places like northcoastphoto etc can do it for a reasonable price with high quality.

 

[Onemississipp]

For the prices of their cameras is should be free for 3 years or 360,000 shutter counts.


This was a joke!

 

[Huss]

For the prices of their cameras is should be free for 3 years or 360,000 shutter counts.

Do u apply that logic to other items? Should fuel be free if you pay over a certain amount for a car?

🙄

 

[Godfrey]

For the prices of their cameras is should be free for 3 years or 360,000 shutter counts.

In 1982 to 1984, when I was in the photofinishing business, our cost to process and package one roll of 35mm, 36 exposure color print film was about $1.50. 360,000 exposures is 10,000 rolls of film, or $15,000 cost to process the film, not counting the cost of the film itself.

So what you're saying is Leica should give you more than the full retail price of a Leica M-A and two lenses for the pleasure of having you as a customer. That wouldn't make a lot of business sense, now would it?

G

 

[Keith]

There's no way I would pay $150.00 to have a roll of film processed! 😀

 

[Onemississipp]

Do u apply that logic to other items? Should fuel be free if you pay over a certain amount for a car?

🙄

Yep, 3 years free maintenance and oil changes, plus bumper to bumper warranty on my truck for 36 months.

And a free tank of gas!

Logic is logical, no?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Since then Leica and reasonable price has become real?

How many Leica stops are in USA? Two to mail in for the price of developing kit?

 

[Onemississipp]

In 1982 to 1984, when I was in the photofinishing business, our cost to process and package one roll of 35mm, 36 exposure color print film was about $1.50. 360,000 exposures is 10,000 rolls of film, or $15,000 cost to process the film, not counting the cost of the film itself.

So what you're saying is Leica should give you more than the full retail price of a Leica M-A and two lenses for the pleasure of having you as a customer. That wouldn't make a lot of business sense, now would it?

G

That was back in 84, things are cheaper now, health care and all. So I'm sure if the government got involved we could process that same film for $150. Or if you like your developers already you can keep them.

My comment was an attempt at bad humor or a joke if you will.

Have you seen their Instax camera?

 

[Onemississipp]

Huss,
I'm sorry I should not have said that about the free development, as it may derail your thread. It was an attempt at bad humor.

 

[Godfrey]

That was back in 84, things are cheaper now, health care and all. So I'm sure if the government got involved we could process that same film for $150. Or if you like your developers already you can keep them.

Have you seen their Instax camera?

"Things are cheaper now..." Um, what planet are you writing from? Average cost of living in the USA between 1984 and 2016 is up by about double in practical terms.

Yes, I've seen the Leica Sofort. Looks very neat, a re-styled Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. I might even buy one, I like instant film. You want them to give away 100 packs of film for that too? That'll sure be a profitable business for them...

G

 

[Onemississipp]

"Things are cheaper now..." Um, what planet are you writing from? Average cost of living in the USA between 1984 and 2016 is up by about double in practical terms.

Yes, I've seen the Leica Sofort. Looks very neat, a re-styled Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. I might even buy one, I like instant film. You want them to give away 100 packs of film for that too? That'll sure be a profitable business for them...

G

Sorry, Sir. My attempt at humor came across, serious somehow.

Just picked up a neo classic on sale for $47, no free film though.

 

[Onemississipp]

On a serious note with only 8 stores in the U.S., I don't see it very useful. As they would have to charge a price to send out the mail order processing.

 

[Huss]

Huss,
I'm sorry I should not have said that about the free development, as it may derail your thread. It was an attempt at bad humor.

Don't worry about it.

Back on track, film is in, and will grow while non pro digital is fading. Iphones have killed the consumer digital industry and people pretty just use that for social media postings.
Leica , Nikon and Lomography are essentially the last men standing in the consumer film world. The Leica Stores are already a cool place to visit, and they are staffed by very friendly people no matter what brand of camera (or not) that you have. Having film processing will attract all sorts of film photographers, spotlight the product, creates good will, and may result in new customers. It provides a service that your Apple store cannot.

 

[Huss]

On a serious note with only 8 stores in the U.S., I don't see it very useful. As they would have to charge a price to send out the mail order processing.

Maybe there are only 8 stores but they are in very highly populated hubs. LA is a huge market. So is NY, San Fran etc.

8 stores in huge markets makes much more sense that hundreds of stores where they will not have any customers.

Of course they would have to charge a price to send the film out, nothing is free. But this promotes film, it promotes the film world, and it emphasizes the history and product that Leica provides. It also shows that what matters is that you shoot film no matter what camera you use, and they are there to promote that.

 

[Onemississipp]

It could work however, as I would be more opted to drop off film, pay the extra, $2.50? A roll to have them mail it off. It could be sent back to your home address to save the store from having to collect and sort.

Actually not a bad idea at all.....no Leica store near me... Not much of anything is near me..

 

[Huss]

The idea is that if it shows signs of life, then others may be encouraged to do something similar. Even if all they are doing is mailing it off, it lets people know that film is alive and well. I've had so many people approach me when they see me shooting film, and ask me what do I do with it as they thought you cannot get it developed anymore!

 

[lynnb]

The idea is that if it shows signs of life, then others may be encouraged to do something similar. Even if all they are doing is mailing it off, it lets people know that film is alive and well. I've had so many people approach me when they see me shooting film, and ask me what do I do with it as they thought you cannot get it developed anymore!

I have a similar experience. People are genuinely surprised that you can still buy film and have it developed (let alone develop it yourself).

This sounds like a good idea. I do wonder, how many people walking into Leica stores would consider buying a Leica film camera, apart from those who already own a Leica? i.e. how many new Leica film body customers would this generate. I'm guessing the major benefit to Leica of such a service would be goodwill from existing Leica owners. Not a bad thing.

 

[CMur12]

I would expect it to be a premium product (in line with everything else Leica), at a higher price than most commercial processing (partly because of higher quality and partly because of the brand), but providing impeccably developed negatives, high quality prints, and the option of high resolution scans.

- Murray

 

[Richard G]

Red dot processing for most of a city with an interest would work for volume giving quality and expertise and economy. Sydney no longer has Van Bar. Presumably some are sending to Melbourne. I'll volunteer Melbourne.....

 

[Prest_400]

It could work however, as I would be more opted to drop off film, pay the extra, $2.50? A roll to have them mail it off. It could be sent back to your home address to save the store from having to collect and sort.

Actually not a bad idea at all.....no Leica store near me... Not much of anything is near me..

But then, there are these bunch of labs which work mail order. Specially popular with the wedding bunch and growing!

You post (or even have a courier come for the parcel), they have it in a few days. Take a while to scan it -if chosen- in the Frontier or Noritsu; and as soon as they have it, a link is given with a download of the files.

I could see leica stores partnering with a lab like RPL, FINDlab, Indie, NCPS, etc.

In Spain there is Carmencita lab, which last august posted about having processed (+scanned) 5500 rolls, mentioning the healthy amount of work.