Dr. Andreas Kaufmann
In a recent interview at Photokina with Les Numeriques, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann shared his view about the future of the photography market:
If all goes well, it will be a very exciting market with many new things. But, if everything does not go perfectly and deep changes are not undertaken, some competitors will inevitably disappear. Some have already withdrawn, like Samsung, others already have a foot in the grave. (Silence) I really do not want this to happen that way, because as a historical actor we do not want to see a long-time companion pass away, even if it’s a rival. But if they do not move fast enough, I greatly fear for their future. What is certain is that Leica will never enter the action cam market. It was launched, forged, consolidated and locked by GoPro, which have incredible marketing resources. Above all, this is a market that is declining rapidly and we do not want to be part of his fall along with GoPro. Anyway, what are action cams outside of holiday? You won’t film yourself while you are working, will you? (Laughs) The only niche market which Leica has wanted to enter for ten years is the smartphone market. But hey, this is not really a niche … If you really want to make money, the film industry seems much more appropriate to me and I’m thrilled that Sigma think the same as we do.
Thanks Mistral75!
