I believe if you both look at the revenue stream you'll find the real
money (i.e. revenue and profit) for a camera _system_ is not in the camera
body. It's in all the system stuff sold to bolt onto the camera body. Why
do you think the flashes for the Olympus digitals are not "T" type flash
units, backward compatible with the OM-4T and OM-3ti?
IMO the business model is creating a body with proprietary lens mount and
dedicated flash connection (for TTL control). All other connections,
mechanical or electrical are also proprietary, including things as simple
as eyecups. This channels the camera body purchaser toward their
accessories. Look at the capital most of us have tied up in lenses, flash
heads, cords, eyecups, extension tubes, etc., compared to that which has
been invested in the camera bodies. For me, it's pushing about 10X; nearly
all of my lenses are at least the cost of a camera body, if not more. Why
create something that can use stuff that's plentiful and readily available
used, or already available from another manufacturer? That does
**nothing** for a company's revenue. It is a far better business strategy
to create a camera body for which everything that hooks up to it or
attaches to it is proprietary, bundle it with a "starter" lens and integral
flash, market it as the greatest thing since sliced bread, and hook the
buyer into eventually purchasing OEM lenses and other accessories.
-- John
At 21:05 8/22/02, Winsor Crosby wrote:
Agreed. Whoever makes the first "from the ground up" digital SLR design,
if it's really successful and draws strong support from independent lens
and accessory manufacturers, could actually create a true standard, cross
maker, AF digital mount design. When will Nik*n announce their first
camera to take OD standard* lenses?
It's all a big IF, of course. Oly will really have to get everything
correct right from the start.
(*Olympus Digital)
Moose
You know it just occurred to me reading your last paragraph that this Oly
request for others to make lenses for their new camera could backfire on
Olympus. Suppose someone built a 24 x 36 digital camera system that not
only took their own legacy lenses, but which with an adaptor would also
take the legacy lenses of another maker like Olympus who no longer
supports its prior customers. How many Olympus owners might make the move
to that other maker?
--
Winsor Crosby
Long Beach, California
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