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 p.2 #10 · Is Leica the Grey Goose of photography? | |
RustyBug wrote:
IDK ...
I'm new to Leica ( a few years, now). My historical take on Leica has been that as a young photographer, it was way out of my budget. Hasselblad, too. But, those two names stood above the others ... for their build and their optics. I'm talking back into the 60's / 70's / 80's etc.
Imo, this was a function of their engineering that ... yup, cost more to research, design, develop, etc. It's not any different than any other product that puts more into those things, to reach a level of performance and reliability for longevity, ease of use, etc.
The moniker of it being a "luxury" brand, has never set well with me when something has solid engineering behind it, that makes it intrinsically stronger, more durable, better performing, etc. I can buy an Old Hickory knife, or I can buy a Buck knife or I can buy any number of superior made blades. Those blades cost different amounts, and for those who are actually in the knowledge and understanding of the engineering / design for the metallurgy involved to make a blade that has properties of edge retention and durability and sharpening, they appreciate and value the combination of those properties, etc.
As time marches on, competitors become more copycat, learn more things and begin to "close the gap" and bring other offerings to the table ... yet, still aren't the same (not saying better / worse / just not the same).
Personally, I think far too often folks jump on the "luxury" brand as a "sour grapes" thing because it isn't in their budget. Are there things that are marketed specifically to target "separation" from the masses for the purpose of putting your nose in the air, sure, why not. But, I don't think the engineering that is inherently behind Leica is a function of effort to brand itself different. I think it is a function to function at a level that incorporates the attributes that are valued by Leica, and others who value what Leica has built into their products ... be that design, function, aesthetic, performance, reliability, ease of use, size, etc.
For some some folks there will always be those who don't value those things the same way. Fine, but not everyone values their knives the same way either. Everyone will have their own definition of what constitutes a "luxury" brand. To some, their budget only allows them to eat hamburger helper and steak is a luxury. For others, hamburger helper is a luxury. Is hamburger with 27% fat a luxury item? Is hamburger with 12% fat a luxury item? Is hamburger with 6% fat a luxury item? Is a roast on Sunday a luxury item. How folks label "luxury" is always going to have a degree of relative perspective (from their viewpoint) to it.
Imo, there is a difference between a well engineered tool and shinier trinket. Are Apple products luxury items? They cost more than their counterparts ... yet, they are engineered different. Similar to my recent entry into Leica, I'm a recent (a few years now) user an MBP. Prior to using Leica and Apple ... I couldn't have any valid appreciation for the engineering and user experience they provided. So, any comments I'd make about them would have been from a position of ignorance, other than awareness of their pricing difference to other options.
At some point, I think folks that brand things as "luxury" ... well, imo there is a difference between a whisper quiet Honda generator and a clanky Briggs and Stratton. Is the Honda a "luxury", or a simply a better engineered tool, that ... oh, by the way, costs more.
Imo, far too may folks jump on the "luxury" term ... without any real effort to understand the engineering differences involved. If someone can't afford it, fine. If someone doesn't appreciate it for what it is, fine. But, we all will have different levels of experience, understand and valuation of our tools. To which I'll add ... don'l fight with your tools. Imo, if I have a tool that I don't have to fight with (can you say menu layout), there's value in that. Is it a luxury to have a Stihl chainsaw that simply works, instead of fighting with some janky cheaper brand. Well, many of the folks that are doing the clean up of the storm damage are using those Stihl saws ... which some people would suggest Stihl is a luxury brand, when a Craftsman can cut firewood, too.
So, yeah ... I'm not a big fan of folks jumping to label well engineered products as "luxury", without taking a deeper understanding of what the cost drivers for the price difference really is. If you take a look at my Stihl hedge trimmer and see the metal / teeth thickness, angle of cut, etc. ... and compare it (and how well it works) to much lower priced options ... well, in the realm of potato vs. pototo ... there's luxury vs. well engineered. As tools go, I'm not prone to label a well engineered tool as a luxury. Rather, I prefer to think of it as a well engineered tool. And, yes ... those things cost more. Luxury ... a label that gets tossed around in more of a sour grapes perspective than most folks would care to actually admit, sans an understanding of the engineering differences that exist.
YMMV
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In race cars and other high tech performance items the last couple of tenths of a second in performance costs much more than than the previous couple of seconds. This is something we often hear about Leica lenses. Much less expensive lenses providing 90% of the performance. For many this is interpreted as Leica lenses being overpriced and a poor value. But Leica's high price may in fact be mostly justified by that last bit of optical performance and build.
That being said, it is entirely likely that the prior ownership by the luxury branding company Hermes has had a lasting impact on the pricing and positioning of the Leica brand.
Edited on Jun 11, 2025 at 09:46 AM · View previous versions
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