Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/08/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have just had a chance to review Erwin's comments on the DM-R and frankly I am not too surprised. The long-term forecast for products such as the DM--R is not good. Why? What we have in the DM-R is an example of a hybrid technology. These products and the technology that they are based typically represent a stop-gap measure. Examples include the QBOF (the transition between the open hearth steel furnace and the Basic Oxygen Furnace), the bias-ply radial, and the steamship with sails. In each case, the product thrived for a short period of time but ultimately they fail. They are replaced by superior products and superior technology. In spite of how much we enjoy Leicas, their lenses and their products, the reality is that for most photographers, the future is digital, With new advances coming out as quickly as they have been, increasingly the quality gap between film and digital is rapidly closing. I have a number of Leicas (M5, M6 TTL, M7, R9). Yet, I no longer use them as often. Whenever I go out, I find myself reaching for my Canon 20D or my Nikon D2H. Frankly, I am not too optimistic about the DM-R. It is simply far too little, too late, and too expense. My two cents worth. Steven A. Melnyk Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management Michigan State University melnyk@msu.edu