Competitive European (German) digital cameras

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aniramca@yahoo.com - 29 Dec 2006 15:50 GMT

My first SLR camera was an East German Praktica. I noticed that they
are still producing cameras, and has digital SLR products in the
market. My question is why the German cameras do not compete in the
camera market in North America? Are they just simply too expensive,
inferior technology, poor promotion, or they are just giving up in
competition with the Japanese in North America? For the European
market and in UK, are there more choices of German cameras there? I am
sure that
they can make cheaper cameras by building the factory in China, etc.
Why don't they come into the North American market?

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Laurence Payne - 29 Dec 2006 15:56 GMT

> Are they just simply too expensive,
>inferior technology, poor promotion, or they are just giving up in
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>they can make cheaper cameras by building the factory in China, etc.
>Why don't they come into the North American market?

They're all made in Taiwan anyway. Who cares what brand name is
applied?

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David Kilpatrick - 29 Dec 2006 17:42 GMT

>>Are they just simply too expensive,
>>inferior technology, poor promotion, or they are just giving up in
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> They're all made in Taiwan anyway. Who cares what brand name is
> applied?

Buy Vivitar branded cams in the US and you'll get much the same item.

David

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Jeroen Wenting - 29 Dec 2006 20:16 GMT

> They're all made in Taiwan anyway. Who cares what brand name is
> applied?

communist China in fact, often slave labour in the Chinese Gulag.

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David Kilpatrick - 30 Dec 2006 02:16 GMT

>>They're all made in Taiwan anyway. Who cares what brand name is
>>applied?
>
> communist China in fact, often slave labour in the Chinese Gulag.

Try talking to some real Chinese before saying that. Camera factory
staff get about 4X the wage of agricultural village workers and consider
themselves well off. There are some industries where 'entrapment' of
rural migrators (and foreigners, read www.friedmanarchives.com) happens.
Not so with camera factories.

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Jeroen Wenting - 29 Dec 2006 20:18 GMT

> My first SLR camera was an East German Praktica. I noticed that they
> are still producing cameras, and has digital SLR products in the
> market. My question is why the German cameras do not compete in the
> camera market in North America? Are they just simply too expensive,
> inferior technology, poor promotion, or they are just giving up in
> competition with the Japanese in North America? For the European

Too expensive mainly, together with miniscule marketing budgets
(understandable, as the price point forces them into the top market segment
where advertising is less important than brand name).

Pretty much the only brand with any market share at all is Leica.

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