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Something is going on with Zeiss

Still, the body is made by Cosina, Japan (those Voigtlaenders aren't that expensive, are they? ;-)).
And the lenses... while designed by Zeiss, it could well be that Cosina will produce them too.

Is it true???
If so, it does not deserve all that sound, in my openion(at least).
Thanks.
 
It is true, yes.

But Cosina is quite capable of producing decent goods. Including optics.
So i don't think you need worry.
;-)
 
Oh and...

Don't forget that this is merely a marketing thing.
Zeiss has a well-earned reputation of being a top quality producer of both cameras (the Zeiss-Ikon bit of admittedly a long time ago. And how about Contax?) and optics.

Now they see that Leica appears to be faring well in a steeply declining 35 mm film market, and that they do so by aiming at the (excuse me) "snob-appeal" traditional names have, Zeiss too apparently think that offering a "luxury fashion accessory" thingy will be lucrative.

And who's to say it will not be?
As long as the "luxury fashion accessory" is indeed what people expect from a "luxury fashion accesory" bearing the name Zeiss, no, even Zeiss-Ikon.
Still, a large part of the price you're asked to pay is for the brand name.
 
> Thats a very interesting point... so on that basis, is there a NON > luxury branded item available that can achieve the same (if not > better) results?
 
Antony,

Since when does quality have anything to do with it?
;-)

No, seriously.
There are many ways of selling things. One is to sell the brand first, the item bearing the brand second.
That is what Hermes is doing, that is what Zeiss is doing now too.

Sure, people are still buying Leicas (for instance) because they actually are good. But not very many.
And if you can't increase (rather diminish the rate of decrease of) sales figures by selling your goods as the good-old high quality sturdy working photographer's unmissable tools, you can start selling the reputation of being the good-old high quality working photographer's unmissable tool. Next sell your low sales "success" as being "exclusive", and Bob's your uncle.

Now this bubble will burst the moment people find out that their "luxury fashion accessories" is just a badge bearing piece of nothing.
So you either make sure they dont find out by making sure it isn't, or just accept the risk.
Either way, you do not sell the quality of the item (real or only implied), you sell the quality of the name on the item.

And that (again) because selling the item itself isn't generating enough income.

So if a thing wil not sell because the market for it is disappearing (as in Leica's case), or because it (being nothing special) wouldn't sell as (say) a Cosina camera, it may still generate lots of interest from people with lots of money to burn if it bears a Great Name.

Why, for instance, did Cosina buy the right to trade under the name Voigtlaender? Because it works. That's why.
So now Zeiss is trying to see if it works too, using the old Zeiss-Ikon name.

Quality? Not the number one selling point.
The suggestion of quality is.
 
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