Re: Leica Laurels....was `Summicron 35 hood'

[Wolfgang Sachse <sachse@msc.cornell.edu>]

> Actually, inflation has not been that much. I believe that a Leica today
> costs as much as it did in 1963...

	Hi -

	We gotta get you guys to change the Subject Line when you
	change the subject.

	Then Chris wrote...

> Leica makes small advances, like putting built-in hoods and updating M
> lenses. We should be expecting more from a company with their pedigree -
> leadership.

	Boy, I couldn't agree more. Maybe they're resting on
	their laurels. I'm tempted to go over there and visit
	the factory in Solms. Are guests welcome? (Anybody know
	if there's a good brewery in town?)

	I've been enjoying their _LEICA Magic Moments_ magazine.
	But most all of it in it is old stuff. Admittedly, it's
	focus is on the 40th anniversary of the Leica M, but you'd
	think that they'd also describe some recent developments.
	Included were only a few photographs taken since 1990.
	There is a short article entitled "Innovation with Tradition"
	and at the bottom of the page is a picture of the three
	managers of the Leica Camera Group. The caption ends with
	"...have been involved with the Leica success story for a
	long time." Some will call this "tradition" others "stale
	leadership".

	But let's face it, a Leica works well and most importantly
	a number of really great photographers have learned to use
	it to produce some remarkable images. (I only know about
	the M-series.) As a result, people are buying Leicas as
	an investment and the 1400 employees are kept really busy.
	Maybe that's all a camera company could ever hope for.

	Just keep shooting, Chris!

	-- Wolfgang
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    Wolfgang Sachse                             Cornell University
    sachse@msc.cornell.edu      http://www.msc.cornell.edu/~sachse
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