Huge price drop by Zeiss Ikon

[Rob Skeoch]

I received an email from Richard the North American rep from Zeiss Ikon that there will be a price change starting June 1.

This is part of the letter........

"Despite our best efforts, there still remained a persistent gray market problem, requiring a new and aggressive solution.

Therefore, effective June 1, 2007, we are instituting a major price reduction on most of our serialized Zeiss Ikon and ZF lens products.

The reductions range from 6% to 21% and represents an unprecedented step on our part to ensure you remain competitive in the face of international competition."

So that's great news for everyone considering the Zeiss gear. The cameras have dropped by more than $200 and so have most of the lenses.

 

[Chazzy]

Have any U.S. merchants dropped their prices accordingly?

 

[keithwms]

Mmm, good to hear. Hope the company isn't tanking, though.

 

[bjorke]

Mmm, good to hear. Hope the company isn't tanking, though.

ZEISS? Are you kidding? Look at their balance sheets.

 

[keithwms]

I thought the Ikons were made by Cosina and just badged by Zeiss.

 

[HerrBremerhaven]

Zeiss has quality control people at Cosina, and required Cosina to invest in new equipment just for the products they make for Zeiss. This is not like stating a Contax was just a re-badged Yashica, or Kyocera.

Cosina has a reputation of producing some truly crap SLRs and cheap lenses. Their Voigtländer line, and the products they make for Zeiss, are quite different in quality of build, and consistency. Obviously, they are not Leica, but the lower prices reflect that.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
Dead Link Removed

 

[Roger Hicks]

I thought the Ikons were made by Cosina and just badged by Zeiss.

Not exactly. They are 'just badged by Zeiss' after Zeiss quality control.

This is not the same thing.

Cheers,

Roger (who has tried most ZI products)

 

[keithwms]

I do wish good financial health to Zeiss and Cosina... it's just that when I see big price reductions on premium gear it makes me a bit nervous. I do hope that I am not misinterpreting their marketing strategy.

 

[sbelyaev]

For Contax/Yashica Zeiss built a new lens factory in Japan. That was a genuine Zeiss factory.

ZM and Zf lenses are manufactured at Cosina factory for Zeiss. These lenses look similar to Voigtländer with a nice bright and shiny front filter thread.

No doubts that Cosina can produce good lenses, but I don't think that it is reasonable to pay a premium price for a cosina lenses with T* coating.

I used to own Distagon ZF (sold it) and was disappointed by this lens. Too heavy, too bulky and too optically unrefined for such an expensive lens.

 

[Donald Boyd]

Zeiss has quality control people at Cosina,

What if these Zeiss quality control people only speak German? Miscommunication can lead to unquality control.

 

[copake_ham]

Hmmm...lower prices.

It'll be interesting to see what the new price for the 85mm ZF is....

 

[PHOTOTONE]

What if these Zeiss quality control people only speak German? Miscommunication can lead to unquality control.

It is not people, it is quality control processes and equipment and procedures, with equipment manufactured by Zeiss for this purpose. Most people rate the Zeiss/Cosina "M" mount lenses right up there in resolution and quality with Leica. Not all Zeiss "M" mount lenses are made at Cosina, the extreme wides are made at Zeiss in Germany. One telephoto is made in Germany. The Zeiss Ikon camera bodies are completely different parts and castings from the Voigtlander bodies.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It is not people, it is quality control processes and equipment and procedures, with equipment manufactured by Zeiss for this purpose. . . The Zeiss Ikon camera bodies are completely different parts and castings from the Voigtlander bodies.

You are of course absolutely correct.

Are you familiar with the expression, 'My mind is made up, do not try to confuse me with the facts'. Persuading people that ZM/ZF etc. are not 'rebadged Cosinas' can be a bit like that.

Only the 15/2.8 and 85/2 are made in Germany at the moment, but there may be more in due course...

Cheers,

Roger

 

[Rob Skeoch]

Hmmm...lower prices.

It'll be interesting to see what the new price for the 85mm ZF is....


Hi Copake,

The 15mm and the 85mm didn't have a price reduction. They were the only two that didn't.

-Rob

 

[copake_ham]

Hmmm...lower prices.

It'll be interesting to see what the new price for the 85mm ZF is....


Hi Copake,

The 15mm and the 85mm didn't have a price reduction. They were the only two that didn't.

-Rob

Damn!

Oh not blaming you, Rob. Don't mean to "shoot the messenger"!

 

[Antje]

What if these Zeiss quality control people only speak German? Miscommunication can lead to unquality control.

I hate to break the news to you, but most Germans speak English.

Antje

 

[Petzi]

I hate to break the news to you, but most Germans speak English.

Antje

It is more correct to say that most Germans (except for elderly people) took English lessons in school.

 

[Leon]

It is more correct to say that most Germans (except for elderly people) took English lessons in school.

ahh but many people in england took german and french at school, yet we're all still really cr@p at speaking it (well, mostly all)

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

And don't forget that English may well be the intermediary language, since the Cosina factory is in JAPAN .

 

[Antje]

ahh but many people in england took german and french at school, yet we're all still really cr@p at speaking it (well, mostly all)

Guess what I was trying to say that in a company that acts globally, you will find that people speak English well enough.

Antje

 

[Roger Hicks]

Guess what I was trying to say that in a company that acts globally, you will find that people speak English well enough.

Antje

Faute de mieux, one might say...

Mit freundlich Gruessen,

Roger

 

[Antje]

Faute de mieux, one might say...

Mit freundlich Gruessen,

Roger

I like English very much actually. Just one look at the dubbed version of The Office and you will thank the Gods for a good English teacher.

Antje

 

[copake_ham]

I like English very much actually. Just one look at the dubbed version of The Office and you will thank the Gods for a good English teacher.

Antje

I work in the New York Branch of a well-known Bavarian bank. One of the German ex-pats here originally had a Brit as her English language tutor. So, unsurprisingly, when she arrived here three years ago she spoke English with a "clipped British" accent.

However, we here in New York have "fixed" that problem and now she speaks American English with a bit of a Noo Yawk accent!

 

[bjorke]

To follow up on the topic:
http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/070515/81/h7axh.html

Zeiss as a company is FINE

 

[Mick Fagan]

My wife has nieces and nephews all born and raised in Bavaria. All of them speak German and English fluently. Some of them speak French as well, whilst another two speak Spanish all fluently.

Another niece was very interested in all things Japanese, she speaks German, English, French (not so well) and Japanese fluently. Recently, after studying international business at University, she ended up working in Japan for a year for one of the largest companies in the world (German).

I know that one of the requirements was the ability to "on the fly" verbally translate into either German or English, Japanese television or radio news broadcasts for at least 5 minutes to satisfy the company of her ability to understand real Japanese.

Most people working for companies in overseas positions are high achievers and suitably qualified in many facets of diplomacy, business standards as well as whatever position they are placed in. I know that the acceptance rate for these people in most companies is very strict, I would be quite comfortable of German engineering standards being upheld in a foreign country of manufacture.

Lets face it, Mercedes can manufacture a car in the USA and maintain their rigid standards for a world car, even though they are running a plant in another language to their mother tongue!

Mick.