Zenit (KMZ) and Leica Joint Production

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Read about it here:-
https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topi...-zenit/?utm_source=180926de&utm_medium=E-Mail

Regards, David

 

[35photo]

Its interesting no question...

https://petapixel.com/2018/09/26/zenit-and-leica-unveil-the-zenit-m-full-frame-rangefinder/

 

[xayraa33]

4k to 5k euros in price is not exactly the $ 69.99 of the Zenit E of 1973

 

[ptpdprinter]

Anybody care to hazard a guess as to the demographic for a Zenit Leica knockoff at €4-5K (presumably before VAT).

 

[nemjo]

Anybody remember the 10 thousand $ Sigma?
And it was Sigma with its heritage.
I still think it to be a joke.

 

[Archlich]

4k to 5k euros in price is not exactly the $ 69.99 of the Zenit E of 1973

The price is for the kit bundled with the 35/1 lens. Smart move. Now you'll never know how much the camera alone's gonna cost. How much does a M mount 35/1 cost? If it's a Leica lens then camera's might as well be considered free, isn't it?

Still, congrats to both: Leica gets to clear its 6-year-old inventory and KMZ's comfortable enough to claim all the "designed and made in Russia" as much as they could.

I'm pretty sure the supply will be very limited. These guys are so smart that they know it won't sell much - still, as long as they hit the 100th sale everyone's gonna be happy.

 

[ptpdprinter]

From the press release: "The Shvabe Holding, part of Rostec, has presented this product at Photokina 2018, the largest international trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries held in Cologne." I haven't seen any coverage of it yet.

 

[Archlich]

Anybody care to hazard a guess as to the demographic for a Zenit Leica knockoff at €4-5K (presumably before VAT).

As ridiculous as it seems, it's real: https://www.dpreview.com/news/9034303849/photokina-2018-hands-on-with-zenit-m

It's not a shoddy knockoff. Genuine M Typ 240 I say, just in a different shell. Didn't even bother to change the Leica font. Very likely shipped directly from Wetzlar half-complete and "assembled" in Russia...

The body and the lens has "Designed and Made in Russia" stamped everywhere in big sharp font. I'm not a Russian demography expert, but the scheme seems geared toward the local middle class endorsed in nationalism.

 

[bayernfan]

From the press release: "The Shvabe Holding, part of Rostec, has presented this product at Photokina 2018, the largest international trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries held in Cologne." I haven't seen any coverage of it yet.

it was in the russian manufacturer section, aka room number 462 at the hotel across the street.

 

[Huss]

Looks like a Leica M made by Lego.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

This (along with the Panasonic/Sigma alliance) is pretty bold of Leica if you ask me.

Chinese companies are pirating Leica’s 6-bit coded M lens mount; isn’t it reasonable to assume their cameras and other mount(s) aren’t far behind? Why not jump in and license lens mounts and cameras and let licensees legitimately rebadge your products? Leica makes money through license agreements, they get to continue their own manufacturing process, and they maintain ownership and control of their intellectual property.

This also reminds me of what IBM did in the 1980s with their computer platform. The arguably better system, Apple/Mac, nearly went under.

 

[mbisc]

Rebadged, gold-plated cameras for the Russian oligarchy, perhaps?

 

[Sumarongi]

Actually, to my eyes, the body looks much more like a ZEISS IKON 😕

 

[DougFord]

how'd they do that???

how'd they do that???

...this thing looks like it was designed and manufactured in Russia. lol

 

[Sumarongi]

...this thing looks like it was designed and manufactured in Russia. lol

Hmmmm... did you expect this:

?

 

[AJShepherd]

No, wait, did I hibernate through winter and it's now April 1st?

Because a €5000 Zenit version of a Leica M just seems way too ridiculous to be true!

 

[xayraa33]

The price is for the kit bundled with the 35/1 lens. Smart move. Now you'll never know how much the camera alone's gonna cost. How much does a M mount 35/1 cost? If it's a Leica lens then camera's might as well be considered free, isn't it?

Still, congrats to both: Leica gets to clear its 6-year-old inventory and KMZ's comfortable enough to claim all the "designed and made in Russia" as much as they could.

I'm pretty sure the supply will be very limited. These guys are so smart that they know it won't sell much - still, as long as they hit the 100th sale everyone's gonna be happy.

I would price the lens it comes with to about 500 to 600 euros, generous enough for rarity when a 7 Artisan 50mm f1.1 in M mount goes for around 400 USD , a lens of about on par in quality with the Russian offering in my guess-timation.

So it it still would be a 3500 to 4500 euro body.

BTW, the 73 Zenit E also came with a lens, the fabulous 58mm f2 Helios 44-2 if you splurged and not got the 50mm f3.5 Industar 50 lens that was more popular in places with an even ridiculously higher duty and tax on imported photo gear than the UK, places like France of the 1970s.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Total run is 500 kits, they say. I think it is very reasonable number for rebadged M240 and odd lend which will never enter mass production.

 

[raid]

It may turn into a collector's item one day.

 

[Rob-F]

The article says that this was done "in cooperation" between Leica and Krasnogorsky. It doesn't seem credible that Leica would go out of their way to facilitate a competing brand. And who is going to buy it? I could buy a used M240 a lot cheaper.