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i spoke with a Leica guy about this a couple (so probably 3) of years ago
he said that Leica’s vision was to offer as many different possibilities across the market segments as possible and that partners made this a reality
(this conversation was before the L mount alliance)
the huawei partnership was the mobile market
the fuji partnership was the instax market
the Panasonic partnership was the compact market
then the X compacts
the q compact
then the M
the SL
and finally the S MF line
he said no other company had such a broad coverage with so few models and that leica weren’t looking to flood the market (like say how many A7x or XTx models Sony/Fuji release) but to offer a leica solution in each area (and sensor size)
overall it’s tricky I think.... the M is the famous leica. If you want a digital rangefinder buy an M or forget about it but leica can’t survive on the product cycle of the M (especially when many owners stopped buying them after the m9 or waited from the 9 to the 10 to upgrade)
leica’s other cameras are a tougher sell... the SL vs the A7x range, the S MF vs the Fuji/Hassy, the CL vs the other APSC cameras. These product don’t have the same cache as the M and the products of rival manufacturers are a lot close to these lines than the M vs.... well vs what? The Fuji?
in a parallel universe leica probably ditched making cameras years ago... and just make lenses in a variety of mounts now!
Hi, Leica has many extremely loyal and enthusiastic customers, which is a blessing.
Customers like these can react quite emotionally, which can be difficult, however.
Many Leica lovers talking about the Leica soul appear to forget that (on earth) souls require a (healthy) body to exist.
Meaning, Leica is a commercial company needing sales and profits to exist, and to innovate.
Porsche owners are - or were - the same. For them, the 911 is the only real Porsche. Where would Porsche be today without the Cayenne,
the Panamera, the Macan, the Boxter, the Cayman ???
So, nothing against a broad portfolio of offerings, as long as one gets one's favourite.
For me, the M is the real Leica. And as long as there are Ms, I am happy with Leica ... ---