Thanks, Dale. I realize that Leica needs to keep up its luxury, high-end image. But the prices it charges for its Leica-branded Panasonic cameras and accessories is simply insane. I wonder how many buyers of these cameras realize they're Leica-branded Pannys (certainly quite a few do) or believe they're "real" Leicas.
I'll probably get in trouble for this, but anyway .... I don't have so much of a problem with the premium price of the Pana-Leicas when they add reasonable value, but in most cases that's either doubtful, dubious, redundant, or worse. Some examples:
The Leica 'C' (Pana LF1) has some interesting features as a Panasonic, but the quality is minimal and I'm not convinced that the Lens on the LF1 Panasonic version befits the $500 Panasonic was charging at introduction. Then Leica selling theirs for $200 more and adding Lightroom didn't seem like a bad deal, except people who already have one or more Leicas that they also got Lightroom for should have had an option to select another perk besides Lightroom. And then there's that (in my opinion) low-quality lens on a $700 'Leica' camera. Shameful I think.
Now the $500 Pana LX7 was a good value at introduction, and got to be a fantastic value with recent discounts. But Leica didn't discount the $800 D-Lux6, which again is a very excellent camera, but Leica should have offered an alternate for Lightroom plus (in my non-expert view) an additional perk to save some face in light of what the LX7 was selling for.
I never bought a Leica 'Special Edition' until the G-Star Raw came out. The premise seemed absurd - the clothing company's name all over the camera and accessories as though they designed it. But, the camera body has the best finish and feel of any small camera I've ever had, and I wish my M-Monochrom had as good a finish. The accessories were perfect - the best non-slip wrist strap I know of and the perfect carry case (essentially same as the 18727 case), so the seemingly absurd $1190 price was fine with me, but would not be for customers who didn't want or need the fancy case or wrist strap or Lightroom.
For the future, I don't have a wholly positive feeling about where Leica is going with their junior line of products, like the new 10x22 and 8x20 pocket binoculars in pretty colors at $1000 USD. Leica is opening Leica boutique stores everywhere now, which seems crazy for the marginal camera maker that they are. They may be doing the right thing with their main line - I bought a X Vario which I thought was a super deal for $2850, given that even a $11000 Leica 'M' plus appropriate lens would not have a zoom like the X Vario (and the X Vario lens is outstanding in quality).
But if Leica is justifying their mass-opening of Leica stores on selling pink binoculars and titanium-encased D-Lux6's, I dunno - doesn't feel right somehow.