[Leica] Leica implications about future developments

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

>Steve,
>Before the M8 was introduced, Leica discouraged the possibility of digital
>cameras meeting Leica quality standards. After the M8 was released, Leica
>made statements that a full frame Leica was impossible and that we should be
>content with a 1.3 multiplication factor. Further the magenta blacks were a
>feature rather than a liability

What? Where did they say that?



and were necessitated by the elimination of
>an IR filter in the reach for higher B&W picture quality. This is a classic
>case of discouraging consumer expectations of product improvement in the
>hope of encouraging sales of present products.


These things were always prefaced by being the capabilities at the 
time. Future improvements were not mentioned. Reasonably, as such 
speculation is a bit pointless, but some developments were obviously 
going to happen at some time. You're putting words in Leica's mouth.



  Leica's precarious financial
>situation a few years back prompted the company to deny that the M8 was a
>stopgap camera, a way station on the route to a full frame digital camera
>that could make full use of Leica lenses. Perhaps someone remembered the sad
>case of the Osborne portable computer, the first computer that was small
>enough to lug around on an airplane. The Osborne Portable, about the size
>and weight of a large portable typewriter was reasonably popular and sold
>well. The company then released plans for a new model, the Osborne II, which
>would be smaller, lighter and more powerful. Immediately sales of the older
>computer ceased as customers postponed purchases to wait for the new model.
>Cash flow stopped and the company went bankrupt. Leica was, and probably
>still is, in the same position. It could hardly say "Our new M8 is pretty
>good but we have a full frame digital camera in the final development
>process. But buy the M8 now so we have the funds to finish work on the M9."
>So they misdirected, and lied a bit. It is standard business practice to let
>customer believe that the current products are the best of all products in
>this best of all worlds.
>If you don't believe that Leica strongly implied that a full frame Leica
>digital was impossible, check the LUG archives of a few years back.
>Remember that I am not knocking the M9 as an excellent camera. I wish I had
>one. But it is not the be all and end all of photographic instruments. Leica
>has, through its design approach, mandated that customers will have to
>replace the entire camera body to realize forthcoming improvements in
>technology. That might be OK if the camera body was in the $1000 to $2000
>range like the Nikon D300, the Olympus E-3, or the Canon EOS50, but at $7000
>a pop it's a bit of a stretch.


Maybe, but there is certainly some evidence that at the present it 
would be hard to put everything you want into a camera design that 
would be acceptable to the intended market. In any case, while I'm 
not going to make a generalized prediction, I very much doubt that 
such a modular camera will happen, even if a practical one could be 
produced. How much more than the current M9 price are you willing to 
pay for a modular camera of you description - $3000? And how much 
heavier, bulkier and more prone to contact/alignment issues a camera 
are you willing to accept for such an expensive camera?

Don't get me wrong. The basic concept of a modular camera, at a price 
of $3000 total, that works a flawlessly as any other in current 
production and that has the size of an M4 (or better yet a IIIf) with 
a viewfinder/rangefinder like that of the ZM but with variable 
magnification has strong appeal. I just think we're a ways from that 
yet. Not only that, but I think technological development will change 
the direction where we're going before such a camera is ever produced.

And before that, some other companies might produce products that 
lead some of us down a different path.


>Larry Z
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

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    *            Henning J. Wulff
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