Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/03/08

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Subject: [Leica] Leila's April 24th announcement - place your bets!
From: jplaurel at gmail.com (Jim Laurel)
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2014 15:46:07 -0800
References: <CF40D071.196DC%mark@rabinergroup.com> <E0C92447-3E87-4B39-AE4B-B2E560F8DCE2@gmail.com> <F85FBEFF-3D2D-44E3-8D37-3CB039BD524D@gmail.com>

Who says Leica should have to appeal to all shooters? I was reading some 
reports from the Geneva Auto Show yesterday. It seems like the mid and entry 
level market auto manufacturers are scrambling to even maintain market 
share, while companies like Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Maserati, 
etc., are all selling everything they can make. I always crack up when I 
hear people liken Leica to Patek Philippe, Jaeger Le Coultre, or even Rolex. 
Even though the average quartz watch from a Hong Kong street vendor will 
keep better time, all those companies sell every watch they produce every 
year. In fact, if you want something special that catches your eye at Basel, 
it can be very difficult to obtain at all.

A lot of manufacturers across the board are very wisely moving upmarket. The 
entry level is just a race to the bottom.



On Mar 8, 2014, at 1:31 PM, Jeffery Smith <jsmith342 at gmail.com> wrote:

> In order to appeal to most shooters willing to plunk down that kind of 
> money, I think that the normal lens would have to be at least f/2.0. 
> Leica?s last film-bade P&S was more like a 40/2.4 Summarit.
> 
> One of the big advantages Zeiss has over Leica is that their comparable 
> optics (50/2  or 35/2) are orders of magnitude apart in cost.
> 
> Jeffery
> 
> 
> On Mar 8, 2014, at 2:46 PM, Jim Laurel (gmail) <jplaurel at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
> 
>> It seems like a good idea would be to come up with a trio of compacts 
>> along the lines of the RX-1. Full frame, and each with a separate fixed 
>> focal length lens. Say, a 21, 35 and 50mm. Sell them for around $3k each. 
>> Sensor dust would be a thing of the past. We usually carry at least 2 
>> bodies anyway.
>> 
>> 
>> On Mar 8, 2014, at 10:49 AM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Well if they did really do a direct confrontation on the full frame 
>>> compact
>>> Sony RX1  they'd be doing a camera which has a build in lens and not
>>> interechangble ones which would be a bit of a gem. Hence less of a market
>>> grabber from the M with interchangeable cash register dings.
>>> The Sony has a fixed Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm F2 which certainly 
>>> dominates
>>> the camera as it appears a bit too big for it; really ruining its
>>> pocketablility.. But with quality to make it worth it.
>>> Leica would likely not make the mistake of ruining the pocketability 
>>> with an
>>> oversize lens. It would make a 35 Summicron of a much more compact 
>>> design.
>>> If they asked me I'd tell them to give the Rollei 35 a nod with a
>>> collapsible 40 Elmar. Also a Barnack basic design element.
>>> If they were super smart they'd make the thing look like a slightly 
>>> scaled
>>> down Barnack; a slightly scaled down very early Leica body.
>>> But I can see them wanting to one up Zeiss with a Summilux 1.4. They can 
>>> be
>>> just as compact. And there is a long history of Leitz - Zeiss speed one
>>> upping. I'd tell them to put a 3.5 Elmar on it and make it all about
>>> pocketability as its full frame it could be shot at 64,000 easy so 
>>> optical;
>>> speed really is not such a big deal. Weight and size is.
>>> 
>>> A digital Leica Standard (1933) would outclass everything and everybody.
>>> They'd all just have to go home. And sulk.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 3/7/14 11:33 PM, "Jeffery Smith" <jsmith342 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> "Eyes are 0n Leica now to come out with its answer to the Sony RX1 full
>>>> frame
>>>> compact. Not stupidly dumb itself down."
>>>> 
>>>> Mark, any idea of which lens they would use for something like this? 
>>>> Leica
>>>> glass is getting insanely pricey, but would they dare using a 
>>>> Japanese-made
>>>> "Leica" lens?
>>>> 
>>>> Jeffery
>>>> 
>>>> On Friday, March 7, 2014, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> "bringing Leica back to the 4/3." kinda sounds like Leica used to make 
>>>>> a
>>>>> 4/3's camera, and now its coming back home.. Not the case. It's made a
>>>>> couple of 4/3's lenes for other companies cameras.
>>>>> Leica now is making compact 1.5 crop cameras. If there is a reason why 
>>>>> it
>>>>> should go 4/3's as if its a fad it has a prerogative to join in on I'd 
>>>>> like
>>>>> to know what it is. As is its a company whose mission has always been
>>>>> making
>>>>> a quality product and senselessly cutting its compact format in half 
>>>>> does
>>>>> not add up.
>>>>> Eyes are 0n Leica now to come out with its answer to the Sony RX1 full
>>>>> frame
>>>>> compact. Not stupidly dumb itself down.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 3/6/14 3:06 PM, "Geoff Hopkinson" <hopsternew at gmail.com 
>>>>> <javascript:;>>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Wanna bet Ken ;-) ;-)
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>> Geoff
>>>>>> http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 7 March 2014 05:58, Ken Iisaka <ken at iisaka.com <javascript:;>> 
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> My guess is that it will be a cosmetically enhanced version of the
>>>>>>> Panasonic DMC-GX7, at $500 more, bringing Leica back to the 4/3.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Thu, Mar 6, 2014 at 11:40 AM, Jim Laurel (gmail)
>>>>>>> <jplaurel at gmail.com<javascript:;>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Just for fun, who would like to speculate on what Leica will 
>>>>>>>> announce
>>>>> on
>>>>>>>> April 24? Will it be the fabled Leica T (typ 701)?
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> If I had a seat at the conference table, here's what I would I would
>>>>>>>> propose:
>>>>>>>> -- A modified M mount that supports autofocus. The "Leica M-AF" 
>>>>>>>> mount.
>>>>>>>> -- Re-tool X-Vario to accept these new lenses. This APS-C camera 
>>>>>>>> will
>>>>> be
>>>>>>>> the initial offering. This new camera body can read the 6-bit 
>>>>>>>> coding on
>>>>>>>> current M mount lenses.
>>>>>>>> -- Release a set of primes with moderate aperture but superlative 
>>>>>>>> IQ in
>>>>>>>> classical focal length equivalents: 35, 50, 28 and 90mm, in that 
>>>>>>>> order.
>>>>>>>> M-AF lenses actually project an image circle sufficient for APS-H.
>>>>>>>> -- Customers who want wider, longer or faster can use traditional M
>>>>> mount
>>>>>>>> lenses
>>>>>>>> -- Firmware update for M240 to use the new lenses in crop mode.
>>>>>>>> -- Next cycle, release the APS-H body with integrated EVF in the
>>>>>>>> traditional position (far left)
>>>>>>>> -- Sell body and prime of your choice as a kit. Your choice of an 
>>>>>>>> M-AF
>>>>>>>> prime for the same price. M-AF body and one prime priced between 
>>>>>>>> M240
>>>>>>>> (body) and X-Vario.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> --Jim
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Ken Iisaka
>>>>>>> first name at last name dot org or com
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> Mark William Rabiner
>>>>> Photographer
>>>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Mark William Rabiner
>>> Photographer
>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



In reply to: Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Leila's April 24th announcement - place your bets!)
Message from jplaurel at gmail.com (Jim Laurel (gmail)) ([Leica] Leila's April 24th announcement - place your bets!)
Message from jsmith342 at gmail.com (Jeffery Smith) ([Leica] Leila's April 24th announcement - place your bets!)