The New Leitz - Wetzlar Leica M6 (and the dreaded film scratching issue)
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Yes the waiting list is long but that does not say anything about numbers sold. I do not have acess to Leitz digital camera sales numbers, but according to this luminous landscape article: https://luminous-landscape.com/state-of-the-business-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont/, the Japanese sales of L&M -
mount cameras must be quite small. Luckily for us who appreciate their optics, however, their recent economic performance has been strong.
You ask what i mean; My point about "leica washing-up liquid" for the fashionistas is that the reputation of the company was built on long term service, both mechanically and by the company. I resent that my SL2, the R8&9 cannot be maintained by them and recall with pleasure my visit to the HauserTorwerk in Wetzlar when my then IIIC was modified. Nevertheless, the company could not have survived by continuing to maintain such facilities.
As to the M6, I prefer the viewfinder of the M3 where with both eyes open, the frame is clearly projected in space. Less easy to see ilike that with the M6.
p.
mount cameras must be quite small. Luckily for us who appreciate their optics, however, their recent economic performance has been strong.
You ask what i mean; My point about "leica washing-up liquid" for the fashionistas is that the reputation of the company was built on long term service, both mechanically and by the company. I resent that my SL2, the R8&9 cannot be maintained by them and recall with pleasure my visit to the HauserTorwerk in Wetzlar when my then IIIC was modified. Nevertheless, the company could not have survived by continuing to maintain such facilities.
As to the M6, I prefer the viewfinder of the M3 where with both eyes open, the frame is clearly projected in space. Less easy to see ilike that with the M6.
p.
Your article points to the market in general, not Leica specifically. So your are trying to obfuscate general digital camera sales with that of Leica film cameras.
What I do know is I can buy any Japanese digital camera at any time, no wait.
Try doing that with a Leica film camera. It doesn't matter what their total sales numbers are, try and go buy a new one and see how easy it is. So when you say it does nothing for the sales of new Leica film cameras, that is not a relevant statement as new Leica film cameras are sold out with long waiting lists.
I don't know why you mentions washing up liquid - I did not quote you on that. Look above at what I quoted you on. Your rant on washing up liquid is on you.
I also have the M3, and it is great for 50mm lenses. There your point is valid. But useless for 35 or 28. I like to shoot with more lenses than 50s, so I also like to use my MP, M-A, M5, M7 and M6.
I do find it amazing that people like him resent the fact that Leica will not repair ancient gear, while every other manufacturer gets a pass on that.
The only film camera that Nikon works on now is the F6. They will not touch the relatively recent FM3A, or even the FM10 - which was just discontinued about 5 years ago!
Ask Canon/Pentax/Olympus to fix one of your film cameras. Guess what their response will be?
But for some reason, Leica is beholden to another standard! Frankly people should be amazed that Leica still works on 70 year old cameras like the M3!
Probably because they'll still work on a 70 year old camera like the M3
I got all mad when Hyundai refused to work on my sweet 1988 Excel. And I quote 'get that hunk o junk off our premises before we call the cops'
And that was only from 1988!
And that was only from 1988!
Sounds like the current situation with Leica NJ!
Not really. At least not in Europe. Nikon was not in the position to replace the internal F6 battery.
Nikon USA shows they still work on the F6.
Proper equipment should be designed to be repairable for quite a long time.
Although as i noted above , it is not commercially lucrative.
Companies deserve praise for maintaining parts production, such as Novoflex who still produce the attachment required for fitting their 60year old BAL-U to the Nikon Z.
In other markets there are independent firms able to maintain ancient equipment. My series II LandRover for instance is well maintained and can be provided with whatever parts may be needed until the acess to suitable fuel runs out.
My complaint about leitz alias Leica is not that they abandon unprofitable business, but that they do not make efforts to facilitate old product longevity which they are singularly well placed to do. while instead they work to accelerate the basically wasteful tendency to buy new and discard old.
Besides, "badge engineering" is a subtle and legal form of swindle .
p.
Although as i noted above , it is not commercially lucrative.
Companies deserve praise for maintaining parts production, such as Novoflex who still produce the attachment required for fitting their 60year old BAL-U to the Nikon Z.
In other markets there are independent firms able to maintain ancient equipment. My series II LandRover for instance is well maintained and can be provided with whatever parts may be needed until the acess to suitable fuel runs out.
My complaint about leitz alias Leica is not that they abandon unprofitable business, but that they do not make efforts to facilitate old product longevity which they are singularly well placed to do. while instead they work to accelerate the basically wasteful tendency to buy new and discard old.
Besides, "badge engineering" is a subtle and legal form of swindle .
p.
That is a ridiculous complaint. Every other mfg, if they wanted to, could still be maintaining old gear. They choose not to. Leica still maintains their M line as best as they can. The very fact that the brand new M mount lenses they make now work on M cameras which now can be up to 70 years old, as well as their latest digital M cameras like the M11 proves your point false that they are interested in encouraging to buy new and discard old.
A new 2023 M11 can use a 50mm Summitar lens from 1950 with no adapters. The M mount introduced with the M3 is used in their latest M digital cameras today.
It is every other manufacturer that encourages the wasteful tendency to buy new and discard old that you are complaining about. Not Leica.
Absolutely, I agree, repairing is better than discarding, and as i pointed out in my first comment I praise Leica for their optics and pointed out that it is eminenlly sensible from a commercial point of view to cut costs and benefit from their reputation. However, companies that wish to flog more long lived merchandise would do well to compete on solidity.
What is particularly sad in the case of Leitz is that as first producing a still camera for 35mm film , using their mechanical experience and skills from microscope production to excel, they have completely abandoned their earlier mechanical devices while basking in their fame.
No one buys a bar of soap for its longevity. Tthe original Lever soap co made their fortune by being first in selling soap by the bar instead of in bulk. Not quite the same reason for complaint if Lever labelled anything else they sold as Sunlight soap .
p.
What is particularly sad in the case of Leitz is that as first producing a still camera for 35mm film , using their mechanical experience and skills from microscope production to excel, they have completely abandoned their earlier mechanical devices while basking in their fame.
No one buys a bar of soap for its longevity. Tthe original Lever soap co made their fortune by being first in selling soap by the bar instead of in bulk. Not quite the same reason for complaint if Lever labelled anything else they sold as Sunlight soap .
p.
That does not matter! It is unacceptable that they will not service his Leicaflex!
They do not. If you try to get repaired Leica M older then M6 you will be advised to request the service by the company Paepke in Duesseldorf. Leica itself doesn‘t have any spare parts for older M generations as well.
Leica Germany just repaired a friend's M2.
Did it cost as much as a m2 from eBay?
Huss: Why they recommended to go with my M2 to Peapke? Strange
Maybe a specific part they didn’t have? Who knows.
I know. I’ve been told on the Leica service hotline in Wetzlar that all spare parts were sold to Paepke. Thus I am wondering how they repaired the M2 of your friend? As I said: strange
Yes, when Leitz was taken over and merged with the Swiss (and KERN-Aarau was killed off) they split the company in three, but did start with microscopes. As to Linhof, I gave away mine to a friend using more sheetfilm tahn me when the rollfilm back ceased working. My reflex bodies still work as they should while their lenses perform well on my Z-7.
p.
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