Is the Leica Q made in Japan by Panasonic or is it made in Germany? Even better, are the parts from Japan and assembled in Germany ?
Where is the Q made ?
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GaryLH
Veteran
I doubt if any digital camera these days has all their parts manufactured from the same country. At best, one can say it was all assembled in the same country.
Gary
Gary
VertovSvilova
Well-known
From Leica AG's website: "Made in Germany, the high quality materials and outstanding craftsmanship guarantee maximum durability."
When a Leica camera says 'Made in Germany' then for Leica that really means made in Portugal and finished and packaged in Wetzlar (I think only two of their lenses are actually made in Wetzlar along with the cine lenses which are made by Kaufmann's SW Sonderoptic and in another building on the Wetzlar Leica campus.) The Leica Q components are likely from all sorts of vendors around the globe and not only Panasonic.
When a Leica camera says 'Made in Germany' then for Leica that really means made in Portugal and finished and packaged in Wetzlar (I think only two of their lenses are actually made in Wetzlar along with the cine lenses which are made by Kaufmann's SW Sonderoptic and in another building on the Wetzlar Leica campus.) The Leica Q components are likely from all sorts of vendors around the globe and not only Panasonic.
btgc
Veteran
What if someone is used to single origin coffee? But roasting in different place is a norm.
Jack Sparrow
Well-known
Parts from Asia sub-assembled in Portugal with finished assembly in Germany...
Because a Leica would look funny when stamped, "Made in Japan." 😉
Because a Leica would look funny when stamped, "Made in Japan." 😉
jsrockit
Moderator
No concern to me... it's a beautiful camera that works well. I can't wait to receive one.
Just trying to determine if its a Panasonic 🙂
jsrockit
Moderator
Supposedly it is partly...but not one that Panasonic sell.
Michael Markey
Veteran
I think that it probably is a Panasonic. The question is will Panasonic bring out their own version at a later date. I have a Panasonic Fx3. I seem to recall that Leica brought out a rebadged version of that supposedly with tweaked software.
willie_901
Veteran
I can't see any basis to assume the Q is wolf (Panasonic product) in sheep's (Leica) clothing.
The main problem I have with this sort of speculation is CMOSIS is entirely capable of producing the Q's sensor.
The main problem I have with this sort of speculation is CMOSIS is entirely capable of producing the Q's sensor.
Black
Photographer.
Although I am positive that there is a lot of Panny technology in the Q, I am also equally positive it isn't going to be a Panny re-badge. I'm not overly sure if Panasonic's camera market is far reaching enough to pull off a full frame compact under it own brand.
Furthermore, reading Leica's promotional literature for the announcement of the Q (phrases like "trailblazing", "true Leica" etc) coupled with the fact that Leica were pushing the "Made in Germany" aspect, it goes a long way from their other Panasonic collaborations/reskins that were made in Asia.
There are a lot of assumptions being made based on internet/forum word of mouth, with very little tangible evidence to back it up, aside from the presence of a battery that is undoubtedly Panasonic in origin.
Furthermore, reading Leica's promotional literature for the announcement of the Q (phrases like "trailblazing", "true Leica" etc) coupled with the fact that Leica were pushing the "Made in Germany" aspect, it goes a long way from their other Panasonic collaborations/reskins that were made in Asia.
There are a lot of assumptions being made based on internet/forum word of mouth, with very little tangible evidence to back it up, aside from the presence of a battery that is undoubtedly Panasonic in origin.
kbg32
neo-romanticist
A lot of bicycles frames are made in Japan, Taiwan, etc.. As long as they are finished, painted, assembled, in the country of origin, they can state that they were manufactured there. I don't know if this goes for the Leica. One can assume, but until further information is forthcoming, one can only speculate.
krötenblender
Well-known
In Germany by jurisdiction (not by law), a company can use "Made in Germany" only, if the major part of the economical value of a product was created in Germany. Otherwise, the statement would be misleading and not legal.
With the cost of labour here in Germany, this means, that much of the material, technology and pre-assembly can be made in different countries and still the product is genuinely made in Germany, because some of the high quality tasks are done in Germany.
When looking at the core competence of Leica here in Germany, I would expect, that this is the case.
For the future, the EU tries to change the rules, which are confusing to the customer. With the EU law, if it gets through the parliaments, this will be much more strict and will be extended also to the used raw materials and labour going into used parts of the final product. - So, if in a few years the Q still has the "Made in Germany"-label, you know where it is made.
With my experience with German made products (including Leica), I would prefer, if there will be a label similar to Apple-products: Designed in by Leica in Wetzlar, assembled in Japan. Except for the lens maybe.
With the cost of labour here in Germany, this means, that much of the material, technology and pre-assembly can be made in different countries and still the product is genuinely made in Germany, because some of the high quality tasks are done in Germany.
When looking at the core competence of Leica here in Germany, I would expect, that this is the case.
For the future, the EU tries to change the rules, which are confusing to the customer. With the EU law, if it gets through the parliaments, this will be much more strict and will be extended also to the used raw materials and labour going into used parts of the final product. - So, if in a few years the Q still has the "Made in Germany"-label, you know where it is made.
With my experience with German made products (including Leica), I would prefer, if there will be a label similar to Apple-products: Designed in by Leica in Wetzlar, assembled in Japan. Except for the lens maybe.
Addy101
Well-known
You mean "by jurisprudence" - Germany is a civil law country (not common law like the US and England), so, that jurisprudence is an interpretation of a written law. However, it is a tricky business as the this German jurisprudence shows: the major part of the economic value of a product was created in the stated country - but how do you decide where the major part of the economic value was created?
In these days of globalisation and skilled labour worldwide, the country on the product is just a marketing tool....
krötenblender
Well-known
Yeah, whatever... I think, people got, was I meant. Besides that, Germany is an economic law country as experience shows.
That was my whole point: most of the work is probably done elsewhere, but since a German specialist, who may be doing nothing more than to add a QC-label, earns ten times as much as the guy in Portugal, who does the whole assembly of Japan-made parts, the calculated economic value ist mostly German.
This is probably a good thing... I mean, that it is made elsewhere. For such an electronic device (as good as it may be) it is no more than romantic dream, that some German optics-craftsman creates a pice of industrial art with his bare hands. It's a digicam, not a Barnack...
I don't even care, to be honest, if it is German-made. I would be interested in the quality. And even the Chinese can make high quality products, as we often see for computers and many other stuff. Difference may only be, that German workers can afford their own home and don't jump from the production-plants roofs to death in masses, as they sometimes tend to do in China.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
VertovSvilova
Well-known
What I posted is what I read in one of their press releases when they recently re-invested in their (long time) Portugal production and opened up the new 52,000 square meter factory in Vila Nova de Famalicao. And also that they limited production in the new Wetzlar facility to have most of their wares to be produced in Portugal with final assembly and finishing in Wetzlar. Only a few items are produced fully in Wetzlar. I'll try to find the article and post the link.....
Roger Hicks
Veteran
FULLY, yes. But (e.g) CNC milling of M top-plates is simple, time consuming metal-bashing with high value added. Some parts of the process require more skill than others...
Cheers,
R.
VertovSvilova
Well-known
Um, so how does that make my original post not accurrate?' I said "finishing and packaging." Assemblies made in Portugal and finished in Wetzlar. Please try to read more carefully before jumping on someone's response.... Thanks 🙂
Colin Corneau
Colin Corneau
North Korea
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