"Abkündigung" of the Leica R

[joachim]

Hi Veraikon,

thanks for clarifying your source. I had assumed Leica was capable of a better mastery of the German language than what is shown in their note.

 

[sevo]

Short version of the letter:
There will be a R-System (compatible with the current) on base of the new S2. We cannot tell you any date.
We clear our warehouses for the new stock. Dealer do as we do...

"Wir arbeiten intensiv daran ... zu ermöglichen" is "we try to make it possible to" - which is nowhere like "there will be". There is absolutely no commitment on actually creating a R series followup, even if they succeed in preserving the technical possibility to do so (which they after all only claim to attempt - a rather weak commitment).

Honestly, I would not expect it. Having a SLR series was important for Leica while and as long as even every point and shoot user considered 35mm SLRs as the reference format. Most of that psychological relevance has been lost now, and having two incompatible SLR series just to enhance market visibility is quite useless, and probably more expensive than Leica can afford and justify...

Sevo

 

[Roger Hicks]

I recall hearing Dr. Kaufmann say at photokina (at the S2 launch) that there will be an R10, 'just don't push us on when'. This release fits perfectly with that statement.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Rob-F]

short:

- leica r9 and r lenses are no longer available
- there won`t be any production in future
- spare parts and accessories are still available
- further information about a new r-system later

Even shorter:

Der Leica R KAPUT

 

[Al Kaplan]

I'll try printing it out and getting my ex to look at it, but she might not understand it either. I still have to change the film in her Minolta X700 ;-)

 

[ravid905]

I got an email this morning, the "L-Camera Newsletter" which says the following:

Dear Ravid905,

"After the good news regarding the LEICA M8 Firmware, not so positive news about the Leica R-system in this newsletter issue:

Leica yesterday informed their sales agencies and dealers, that Leica has no more stock of Leica R9 cameras and Leica R Lenses. A new production is not planned either.

Leica also writes that they are working hard "on making a generation change possible for the current R-System", for this the knowledge gained through the development of the LEICA S2 has helped tremendously.
This fits into the Leica's and Dr. Kaufmann's commitment to a digital R camera during the photokina.

In this moment I have no clue what this means for the Leica R photographers among us. But I'll keep on pestering my contact persons with questions in order to keep you up to date."

This is a link provided in the email to a forum post discussing this. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica...source=Newsletter2009-05-EN&utm_medium=E-Mail

The next statement is:

"The good news:
Sh Photo Logo

Sh Photo has acquired the whole remaining stock of Leica R cameras and lenses from Leica Camera AG and offers it in their online shop."

And lastly they provide a link to the shops Leica R page, http://shop.shphotoshop.de/epages/es104977.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectID=15831993

 

[nitrogen28]

I m not native German but I live here most of my life.

I think that Leica is trying to attract R users to the new S System by providing an adapter. Since the adapter isn t constructed yet they will put some effort into realizing it.

 

[drolo61]

Core information:
No more R9 available (ex factory)
No more R-lenses available (ex factory)
No new production run.
Parts available for as long as stock lasts! (ouch).
Potential generation change in R-line (would allow for R10, which maybe could use S-lenses and be downward compatible for legacy-R-lenses)

 

[FA Limited]

not to be a jerk or anything, but how many people still use R cameras?
always thought it was basically a dead end with leica strining it along to sell off their inventory

 

[veraikon]

ew S System by providing an adapter

that is not possible because of the flange distance. (S2 has a longer flnage distance than the R (47.Xmm)
The R10 will be a fullformat devirate from the S2

 

[veraikon]

flange distance

flange distance

ew S System by providing an adapter

that is not possible because of the flange distance. The S2 has a longer flange distance than the R (47.Xmm)
The R10 will be a fullformat devirate from the S2

 

[rxmd]

"The good news:

Sh Photo has acquired the whole remaining stock of Leica R cameras and lenses from Leica Camera AG and offers it in their online shop."

Oh noes! SH Photo is basically a subsidiary of Photo Arsenal.

Boris Y. strikes again. No good news here.

 

[veraikon]

yea - boris Y /J. . It was rumoured that Leica had offered the stuff (about 1500 items) before to several other dealers, but only B.Y/J. took it 🙁
Personally I think it wasn´t a clever move . B.Y. has a [....]* reputation


* add everything but good

 

[rxmd]

Well he's a moderately successful businessman, so some people apparently don't care about the reputation, and if you want a new R9 kit now there's no option but to shell out 2200 EUR together with a 4/35-70 kit zoom lens to him.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Before you stumble about the funny word "Abkündigung". I don´t know any ambivalent expression in english.

How's "kaput"?

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Even shorter:

Der Leica R KAPUT

Ah, ja. Du beat mich to das.

 

[rxmd]

Ah, ja. Du beat mich to das.

Ha, ve haf vayz of makink you talk German!

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Can we read here that the next R model may be a digital one, as in reaping the benefits of the insights gained from developing the S system?

Who knows... I liked the design of the Leica SLR cameras. They really look cool... But my experience didn't match the looksñ when I played with an R9, it probably had a slow Vario-Elmarit, and the viewfinder was dark, as in grey tinted, which made focusing a tad difficult. That alone just turned me off. Besides, I was pretty much invested with their M model already.

We'll have to see...

 

[bennyng]

Interesting to note that the good doctor is no longer the chairman too ..

http://www.equityanalyst.de/news-2/dowjones/?show_news=20090305LL004092

Exciting times ahead for Leica.

Cheers,

 

[icebear]

There was another comment before questioning the reason that there should be any new R. That's basicly more important than semantics in the German languge.

Other than the S2 being completely out of this world in terms of pricing for amateurs, it would make no sense at all in the current market with flagship FF-SLR's from Nikon, Canon and Sony in the 20-25MP range, to try to gain any share of this pie.

Die-hard fans of the R lenses can use an adaptor for the Canon bodies and be done. The S2 is something new, medium format qualitiy in an almost 35mm size body, supposedly great IQ and convenient handling. What would be the point of difference, not to talk about advantage, of a R10 vs the exisiting rat pack? I don't see that at all.

They should fully focus to get the S2 on the market w/o any hick-ups like the digital R-back. That would prove that they are still cutting edge in camera construction, also in the digital age. Not only producer of exceptional lenses.