Al Kaplan
Veteran
Leicas problem isn't due to high prices on new cameras or competition with Bessas and such. The problem is that they built terribly high quality cameras that can take a lot of use and abuse year after year and still keep on functioning. If a 1956 Chevorlet could be driven 500,000 miles or more without so much as an oil change or new spark plugs General Motors would have put themselves out of business by 1970.
I'm still paying the bills with M bodies made from the late 50's to early 70's. They still work just fine. When I do meter I prefer an incident meter. Why would I buy an M6? If I do decide to "upgrade" there are people out there who'll gladly purchase their fifty year's worth of those camera's lives.
I think that there will be a small market for M cameras for years to come. Whether Leica should go head to head with Zeiss and Bessa or not? Maybe.
I'm still paying the bills with M bodies made from the late 50's to early 70's. They still work just fine. When I do meter I prefer an incident meter. Why would I buy an M6? If I do decide to "upgrade" there are people out there who'll gladly purchase their fifty year's worth of those camera's lives.
I think that there will be a small market for M cameras for years to come. Whether Leica should go head to head with Zeiss and Bessa or not? Maybe.
