The announced Zenit M

[joe bosak]

The announced Zenit M

Would a company really gear up to make a mere 500 bodies? This could be just to get them started with a bit of a splash, what comes after might be more interesting. The guy on the video mentions advice from Leica, full Russian production etc. I certainly hope it's more than just a short, fancy goods run.

 

[Out to Lunch]

I remain intrigued...Leica apparently decided to lend its good name to Zenit M project for a reason...

 

[ptpdprinter]

If Zenit is only going to produce 500 bodies, surely Leica just made the bodies for them, and Zenit (or some subcontractor) did the lenses.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Surely not...the investment in machinery alone would leave Leica with a huge loss.

 

[Sumarongi]

I remain intrigued...Leica apparently decided to lend its good name to Zenit M project for a reason...

The apparent answer is: It's a very good time now to have Russian friends!

—— That's not *that* difficult to understand, is it?

 

[Huss]

If Leica made a film version for Zenit, based on the MA, I'd be all over it.
But a digicam? Nope.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I remain intrigued...Leica apparently decided to lend its good name to Zenit M project for a reason...

It is internal political project. To show for stupid masses how Russia is able to make their old, good time (Soviet) goodies. Tanks, rocket and Zenit.
But because now Russia is totally dependent on external manufacturing of electronics, they have to fake it. Just like they made some super intelligent apparatus ... based on Lego.
https://newizv.ru/news/incident/20-...medvedevu-pokazali-pervogo-rossiyskogo-robota
Now you know about Russian White Elephant.

Same person likes Leicas:
https://petapixel.com/2011/08/18/the-president-of-russia-and-his-leica-s2/
Again, how to show the world the Russian White Elephant as most peaceful elephant on Earth and still have decent camera for new-soviet apparatchiks? Easy, Germans are always willing to help Russians.
Especially if it is profitable contract.
https://www.dw.com/en/german-businessmen-in-russia-more-than-gerhard-schröder/a-40761086

If Leica is able to sell so-so M10 and bunch of so-so lenses under ridiculous prices for general public, why do you think they will reject to sell few old Leica cameras to some third world location? In nineties Mercedes Benz was ready to close G Wagon series, but it became very popular among new Russians.
Again, I doubt the private contract "total" and official camera prices are correlated.

 

[Sumarongi]

Again, how to show the world the Russian White Elephant as most peaceful elephant on Earth and still have decent camera for new-soviet apparatchiks? Easy, Germans are always willing to help Russians.
Especially if it is profitable contract.
https://www.dw.com/en/german-businessmen-in-russia-more-than-gerhard-schröder/a-40761086

Correction: Leica Camera chairman Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, while born in Germany, is AFAIK *not* German by birth -- his natural nationality is that of that certain Alpine country which is famous for its marvellous ski resorts where, among other tourists, tremendously rich Russians, and Russians otherwise having a lot of influence, love to spend their winter holidays 🙂

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I didn't realize it is even more obvios🙂

 

[Sumarongi]

I didn't realize it is even more obvios🙂

Haha, you have seen my country's Foreign Minister dancing with The President, I guess 😉

 

[Huss]

This thread has veered off a bit.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

This thread has veered off a bit.

Actually it is spot on right now. We are trying to explain to OP what he belives in Russian White Elephant if he think what Zenit M would be availible for him or else from abroad.
But you never know.
I was at Moscow-Helsinki train which is famous for smugglers .
Dude in our semi cabin told me how they sold to USA collector the Soviet made anti-tank missile. One with camera attached to the missile.
They have it in same semi-cabin, another day.

 

[Sumarongi]

This thread has veered off a bit.

Not that fast -- is the product in question actually just a publicity stunt?
-- Yes No IDK?

 

[raid]

It makes more sense from a business perspective that Leica teamed up with Huawei for a better smartphone.

 

[Sumarongi]

It makes more sense from a business perspective that Leica teamed up with Huawei for a better smartphone.

emph.: «business»

But there's quite more than «business», particularly when one, like Leica's chairman, is living with his family in a nice villa in the State of Salzburg; Salzburg (well, basically the entire Republic of Austria) is unfortunately next door to several NATO countries, and just 1,800 km away from Moscow 😉

 

[Ko.Fe.]

It makes more sense from a business perspective that Leica teamed up with Huawei for a better smartphone.

Raid, how many contracts you have signed between foreign and Russian companies?
Must be none.
The beauty of contracts like this is (often) in the sweet margine under mutual agreement. 🙂

 

[Archlich]

It's just a KMZ Special Edition M240. You'd wonder where all other limited edition M240 went as well.

 

[Sumarongi]

Raid, how many contracts you have signed between foreign and Russian companies?
Must be none.
The beauty of contracts like this is (often) in the sweet margine under mutual agreement. 🙂

😀 Exactly. Or in other words, as I've written previously:

The apparent answer is: It's a very good time now to have Russian friends!

—— That's not *that* difficult to understand, is it?

Making such a contract is even better than having that

on your door 😉

 

[raid]

Maybe the discussion here should be on the camera and its labeling and projected sales and not on politics?

 

[Sumarongi]

Maybe the discussion here should be on the camera and its labeling and projected sales and not on politics?

You have watched the video, Raid?

The rep said only 500 units will be made and sold with the Russian made lens as a set.

The samples of images shown taken by this lens did not impress me bokeh wise, very similar OOF areas as my 35mm Mir 24 lens, not my favourite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KjPPdlcLUw

We're talking about 500 cameras, 400 for the Russian market (incl. Ex-USSR-states), and 100 for "Europe"; in other words: this particular product is completely MEANINGLESS, except the politics.