35mmdelux Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 .........uses an M6 chrome and a Hassie in the renowned movie Closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominiquepellissier Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 "I just talked to the manager of a large camera distributor here in germany and he told me .........blah- blah" """"""""" In France, there were "concierges' near the entrance of buildings, women with a tendency to spread gossip" Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Blackwell Images Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 I've been thinking about this thread all morning. In keeping with Ben's statement, with the price increasing to a ridiculous $3,295 for an M camera (in the US) on July 1, it is reasonable to assume production will slow to a made-to-order level. I'm not so sure that hasn't been the plan all along. The company's profits are in the consumer P&S and digital cameras, not the M line. On the other hand, although the R line is not produced in large numbers either, it is my assumption it is manufactured with higher profit spreads and is produced in pace with its demand in the marketplace. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it ...” – Yogi Berra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan_cornelius Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 It will come to a point where even our beloved medical professional will have to save up to buy one and ask permission from their wives .... heheheheheMaybe after paying such vast amounts for a basically "basic" camera, new leica users might even want to learn to take pictures to make it all somewhat worthwhile .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominiquepellissier Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 "with the price increasing to a ridiculous $3,295 for an M camera (in the US) " """"" In Europe, 3'200 euros is the price of a M. and, with the exchange rate, that means : 3'900 USD ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher_goodwin1 Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Of course Leica makes beautiful cameras, but what the company is really good at is economics, as shareholders will tell you. Here's how it works: Leica is in bad financial trouble. It has a large inventory of unsold cameras. How to sell them and return the company to profitability? Raise prices, a lot. Now that's brilliant. Economics 101. On the other hand, the only logical explanation of this otherwise bizarre financial thinking is that raising prices has to be a precursor to halting normal production of the M cameras. A la carte M's will be a lot more expensive so Leica can afford to raise prices on what will become an increasingly rare commodity. Or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan flanders Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Forty or so years ago Winchester tried the same ploy with their premier shotgun, the Model 21. It started off as a consumer grade gun aimed at the ordinary hunter. Soon it began to acquire luxury trappings and its production relegated to the 'Custom Shop'. Eventually it became too expensive for this arrangement so its production rights were sold to a venture reproducing replicas of other famous American shotguns at carriage trade prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 I hear China is in the market for buying up production rights to western technology. Perhaps in the coming years we'll see discussion of whether the Shanghai, Beijing or Chongqing factory makes the best Leica lenses and bodies. I can't wait for the Leica Seagull, priced to sell for $199.95 at your local WalMart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_brantley2 Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 That does it! I'm going to buy a 4th Kiev 4 rangefinder off eBay before they're all gone! And Kiev did make over a million of them. They should have used the "red" dot too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_neuthaler Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Here's a prediction: if Leica discontinues the M's, afficienados will realize shortly that the M3 is the best M Leica ever made and, even though 220,000 were made from 1954-1966, the M3 will become really expensive! Grab one while you can at $500-$1,000 depending. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prince_alfie Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Hmm... so is the only m left is an m and m in chocolate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunom Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Alfie No - there still 'M' in James Bond! Bruno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_blow32 Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 They need to bring back the M5. Problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank granovski Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 ...and that would bring some jobs back to Canada. ;*) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpg Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Kipling, if the M is to cease production, it will only be because Leica ceases to exist, or the world came to an end and planet earth is no more. Yeh, sure, and the same guy told my dead grandmother that doomsday takes place on Monday. It would be nice if more members focused on images and how our gear helps us to achieve our photographic ambitions, rather than feed off and fuel pointless rumours. Having said that I'm off to buy every model of everything Leica makes just in case the world comes to an end on Monday! Take more photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_.1 Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 OH MY THE SKY IS FALLLLLINGGGGGG!!! AHHHHHH!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominiquepellissier Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 or : the m of the end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lo_..._t_o Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 The demise of the M will symbolise the sea change that is going on in photography. Nobody makes a serious 35mm anymore (is Nikon still selling the F6? If so I stand somewhat corrected). In the average consumer's mind at this point already, film=cheap, digital=quality, in a world where larger formats are unknown. I wonder if the makers of digital aren't eagerly anticipating the fall of the old ikon. Used Ms will still be bought and sold, and older photogs and journalists will still want to use them, but after a time they'll take the market and artistic position that the 8x10 Deardorf has today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh_crawford1 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 "Forty or so years ago Winchester tried the same ploy with their premier shotgun, the Model 21. It started off as a consumer grade gun <B>aimed at the ordinary hunter.</B>" <BR><BR> Ouch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCULUS New York Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 In my issue, I noticed the IWC watch too, but wondered about its appearance. It is not really a "current" model, and certainly not one that I would choose (as an IWC collector) to portray the M a la carte. IWC is now owned by the LVMH crowd; Leica by rival Hermes et al. Maybe they are just having some fun, poking at LVMH. Here's the latest Reuters (if you trust them...) dispatch on the retrenchment. http://yahoo.reuters.com/financeQuoteCompanyNewsArticle.jhtml?duid=mtfh51239_2005-06-02_19-07-29_l0230077_newsml Cheers, Ray Hull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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