Success at Leica. Plus, is the Rollei name about to disappear?

[melek]

A March 13 article in the financial publication looks at how Leica has transformed itself from a stodgy maker of film cameras to a profitable manufacturer of digital products.

The article briefly reviews Leica's history, as well as its revival and embrace of digital.

Many of the comments by readers talk about the cost of the cameras and how the readers are more interested in the latest offering from Canon, Nikon or Sony with one reader wondering if the Leica lenses are equal to their Japanese counterparts.

Meanwhile, Petapixel reports that DHW Fototechnik, the company that took over Rollei after its most recent financial downfall and separation from Samsung, is auctioning off the equipment for making its film cameras.

Although the article doesn't say whether DHW Fototechnik has ceased to exist, the inference is that this spells the end of the Rollei name and line of cameras. The brand faced several challenges, among them being the high cost of its cameras and the shift to digital As well, its twin-lens cameras had fallen out of favor with professional photographers, as did its 6000 series cameras.

Here's a link to the site of the auction company site, which has more than 1,000 photos of what will be sold to the highest bidder.

[PFMcFarland]

Rollie intellectual property and spares were to be sold off before the factory auction, and anything left over from that would then be included in the auction. I would assume this also means the Rollei trademarks, as since DHW Fototechnik being bankrupt will be dissolved (per German law).

PF

[melek]

I wonder if a German company will step in and snap up the intellectual property - to keep it in Germany. In any case, a sad end to one of photography's classic brands.