Leica Optimism

[scott_mcloughlin]

There has been so many doom and gloom posts, I thought I'd offer a

happy possible scenario.

 

Zeiss purchases Leica lock-stock-and-barrel. Relatively plenty of R&D

money to go around, and Zeiss brings important new manufacturing

relationships (Cosina).

 

M7 and MP made in the traditional fashion, and hence at ever

increasing prices (propotional to rising costs). Keeps the

traditional Leica faithful from completely freaking out.

 

Zeiss's current Cosina built body reduced a bit in cost, rebranded a

Leica and offered at a slightly lower cost as an "entry level" RF film

camera, bundled with a either a Zeiss or Leica design 50/2.

 

Zeiss/Leica states their recommitment to film photography, but mainly

B&W and E6. Admits that traditional color C41 is most rapidly be

superceded by digital photography. Zeiss/Leica sells a selection of

rebranded Fuji B&W and E6 films online and offers reasonably priced

processing mailers as well to the film faithful (actually Fuji

processing).

 

Digital M arrives, but without the insane Leica build quality - simply

not warranted by digital cameras with relatively short half-lives - as

the technology improves too rapidly, at least for now (see below).

Finally some sanity, and priced appropriately, say around $3K. The

new Zeiss/Leica shrinks the body design by a few mm in each direction,

reinforcing the "Barnack philosophy" of a small but high quality and

highly capable camera. Also reinforces one of the few key advantages

of the RF camera over most current SLR designs. A few new wide angle

lens designs appropriate to an APS sensor complements the new camera

body.

 

Liberated from the silk shutter, Zeiss/Leica offers a high flash sync

and a thoroughly "modern" flash system with their new digital M. This

feature migrates to an updated version of Leica/Zeiss's "entry level"

film M camera as well. Again, outsources production of the flash units.

 

Zeiss/Leica produces a small range of fixed focal length digital

cameras - 28, 35, 50 equivs - with an APS or larger sensor, as well as

a small excellent model with a roughly 35-75 equivalent lens. These

sell like hot cakes (in a relatively niche market) and are popular

with the PJ community who can pocket them or fit them easily into a

crowded bag, complementing their otherwise large and cumbersome kits.

 

In the new camera market dominated by either "consumer electronics"

Best Buy marketed cameras or Canon/Nikon's focus on PJ oriented large

SLR cameras with ever faster autofocus, large zooms and the like,

Zeiss/Leica remains as one of the last camera companies to focus on

manual focus and exposure control and the highest quality fast prime

optics.

 

After playing a bit of catch up, traditional semiconductor companies

emerge that dominate sensor research and production and offer "ready

made" sensors, chip sets and even supporting software packages to

camera manufacturers. This greatly decreases the R&D required to

product a new digital camera design. Sensor size, pixel count and

overall performance (noise, CA, blooming, etc.) roughly begin to

stabilize in the marketplace (APS or FF I can't really guess).

 

With digital R&D costs reduced, production costs managed via

outsourced manufacturing of camera bodies and lenses to Cosina,

Zeiss/Leica finally settles into a profitable niche serving the

"serious amateur" photographic community with both film and digital

cameras. They offer a few traditional M cameras, an entry level film

M camera, a digital M camera, and a new breed of digital pocketable

"P&S" cameras (actually, maybe even RF focused like the Contax T1) of

the highest quality.

 

Just dreaming, but doesn't sound too bad. Ok. Flame away, if you like :-)

 

Scott

[rick_waldroup3]

Sounds like a wonderful plan to me. I don't know if anything like that would ever see the light of day, but you never know.

[mikko_kalavainen]

Oh Good Lord I hope you are descended from Nostradamus or the Oracle of Delphi.

 

So many things on that list that would be great to see happening. I don't even want to think about the real world. Just bask in the glow of this dream for a while, please.

[working camera]

Here's a good news story.

 

They (them) have been predicting the imminent demise if Leica since 1974. Now somehow to date the corporation has met the challenges and battled through. It is a small company and it is managed somewhat differently to the mega corporations. They (them) also said the DMR would be a flop and send the firm broke. It turns out that it does what Leica said it would do. It is also a DSLR with a difference. Sales seem to be healthy enough for a small firm like Leica.

 

Many who come here gleefully predicting the demise of the Leica brand are too daft to have a go at a Leica camera to see what the fuss is about. They are just envious of what they see as an extravagant luxury item. On the other hand many others (and some amongst us) have brought into Leica and made not inconsiderable sacrifices to do so.

 

If Leica does go totally bust it would be a shame but it is just a corporation. Corporations go under all the time. The advantage of Leica is the build quality. And if the firm does become extinct their products will still be servable for many many decades to come.

 

So all this talk is much ado about nuffin, as a bard once said.

[andre_bosmans]

For all this free advise this forum should send an invoice to Solms.

Let's stick to film and together!

[working camera]

How 'bout we endeavour to make impactful meaningful images however they come.

 

They boil down bits of beautiful bovine eyed cows to make film you know. Nobody thinks of the cows.

[Rob F.]

A Zeica?

[peter_evans4]

<p>I thought "Leica optimism" would be similar to, say, "Yashica optimism" or for that matter "MPP optimism": continued availability of <em>fuel</em>. Apropos of which, I learn today (<a href="http://nelsonfoto.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1799&highlight=">from Nicolas Douez</a>) that there's <a href="http://www.adox.net/">a new B/W film</a>.</p>

[jake_tauber]

Hey look! The Emperor isn't wearing any clothes!

[richard_hoag]

Well thought out general outline with consideration to the reality of current niche manufacturing, R&D, distribution and marketing. Complete a more detailed business plan and get it to Zeiss and Leica, you never know.

[dan_fromm2]

What's in y'r scheme for Zeiss, Scott?

[michael j hoffman]

"...Zeica?"

 

Well, its either that or Leiss!

 

Michael J Hoffman

[joseph_wisniewski]

I keep hearing rumors of Sigma buying Leica Camera.

[vivek iyer]

I think they can afford to buy a Leica camera :-)

[Bill Blackwell Images]

This fiction actually makes some sense. But fiction it is. As long as Hermes has his clutches into Leica this will never happen.

[canfred]

Lets hope not!

[james_vornov1]

I don't see why Zeiss needs Leica for this, other than branding. They are already making M mount lenses and an M mount camera. If they produce a digital M mount camera, they have a camera for legacy lenses. Why would they want to acquire another lens maker?

 

I'd buy a reasonably priced Zeiss M mount digital, even if it had a 1:1.5 crop factor to use legacy Leica lenses and new digital specific wider angle M lenses, at least a 35mm equivalent FOV from film with f2.0 or less. A 28mm FOV equivalent would be even better.

[jtk]

Better idea: Canon or Sony buys Leica, avoids Cosina's traditional dubious quality, brings their well-known superior QC to the game, uses Leica optics selectively, optionally, and at a premium price as long as Leica delivers a look people want to pay for. Leica's been resting on its laurels for fifty years, demonstrated by everybody's M3s and Barnacks.

[majid]

I have much more confidence in Cosina's QA than in Sony's. The Voigtlander 12mm Heliar I once had was better built than any modern Canon lens I have ever owned (and I have L lenses).

[scott_mcloughlin]

Zeiss buys Leica, yes, for the brand, but also to consolidate the RF niche, increasing total revenues under one company, rationalizing distribution, lowering costs and the like. Nothing to fancy or odd there.

 

I don't think Canon, Sony or any other "consumer electronics" oriented mass producer will buy Leica or be a good purchaser of Leica. Hence the absorption of Leica into Zeiss.

 

Scott

[vivek iyer]

Consolidate RF cameras? How many limited edition ZI cameras have been sold? 36? 50?

[m_elek]

as far as i know, all supposedly had been reserved. however, people are still able to buy them. 36? 50? surely, you jest.

[zave_shapiro]

I was just reading on John Dvorak's column in PC magazine about the number of electronics companies that have digital cameras - he felt a shakeout coming - are Epson, HP, Sanyo, Toshiba or Panasonic committed to the camera business? I also think there will be opportunities for a "Zeica" to pick up a complete chipset with some standard RAW format (DNG?). Cosina, Zeiss and Leica have proven they can identify and serve niche markets. Good cameras are about lenses. Well, lenses and marketing (sorry Konica-Minolta). I also feel some optimism, Scott.