A Wee Smidge of Info on the "Digital M"

[julianphotoart]

April 2006 LFI magazine has interview with this guy named Marius Eschweiler at Leica, talking primarily about Leica's foray into the Olympus 4/3 system. He also talks about the M and R film systems. He then says:

"Both systems are being advanced independently from the launch of our new digital system -- the digital M, for instance, will be presented this autumn."

 

[captainslack]

In the newest Shutterbug, Roger Hicks was promised that he'd have a Digital M to test sometime this summer.

Too bad he's not still posting here. 🙁

 

[jaapv]

April 2006 LFI magazine has interview with this guy named Marius Eschweiler at Leica, talking primarily about Leica's foray into the Olympus 4/3 system. He also talks about the M and R film systems. He then says:

"Both systems are being advanced independently from the launch of our new digital system -- the digital M, for instance, will be presented this autumn."

Yes- that is correct. It is what Leica has been saying since December 2004, it seems they are still on schedule.

 

[Avotius]

im pretty excited about all of this, ill never be able to afford one of these cameras but its a start on hopefully other companies getting a jump into a area of the market that hasnt been exploited yet

 

[santino]

I'd like to see a hybrid M 🙂

 

[George S.]

Yes- that is correct. It is what Leica has been saying since December 2004, it seems they are still on schedule.

You're saying that Leica said in December 2004 that their digital M would appear in two years' time? Seems difficult to predict just what will be "current" in the digital world two years down the road. Isn't that like 4 generations in digital-speak?

 

[sdai]

My gut feeling is none of us would be able to hold one with production serial numbers this year ... I wish I were wrong though - then the price of the film bodies "could" take a plunge and I'm going to buy two more of them as "lens holders". LOL

 

[jaapv]

You're saying that Leica said in December 2004 that their digital M would appear in two years' time? Seems difficult to predict just what will be "current" in the digital world two years down the road. Isn't that like 4 generations in digital-speak?

Yes they did in an article in LFI I'd have to search, but I still have it somewhere.It even showed a digital mock-up.

 

[sf]

I'm hoping some of the MP and M7 users out there will find this DM irresistable and will flood the market with their obsolete film gear. Then I can buy an M7 for less than an arm and a leg.

I can't wait.

 

[jaapv]

My gut feeling is none of us would be able to hold one with production serial numbers this year ... I wish I were wrong though - then the price of the film bodies "could" take a plunge and I'm going to buy two more of them as "lens holders". LOL

Leica pledged that the camera would be available within three weeks after introduction....

 

[Toby]

Now call me an old cynic but it's in Leica's interest to be optimistic with the introduction date with the DM because it keeps as many of their old customers hanging on rather than trading in M gear and buying DSLR's. You can guarantee that if they are behind in developing the DM we won't know until the provisional launch date is nigh upon us. It's like the vapourware phenomenon in the computer industry

 

[jaapv]

Why should a Leica M user buy a DSLR now???? 😕 😕 Maybe, just maybe a RD1.But a large number of M owners also own a DSLR already, for macro and tele. And I know of quite a few like me, that shoot a Digilux2 as a stopgap camera beside their M. With that in hand their is no reason to do anything until the M8 appears. All signs seem to be green. The vapourware argument was aired loudly in this forum in 2005 and was generally considered to be not valid. So that is rather old hat now...The only bad thing for Leica that could happen would be a digital 10 MP ZI. But that has not even appeared on the horizon yet.

 

[Will]

My gut feeling is none of us would be able to hold one with production serial numbers this year ... I wish I were wrong though - then the price of the film bodies "could" take a plunge and I'm going to buy two more of them as "lens holders". LOL

Time for a M3, and a M6 TTL 0.85...

 

[jaapv]

I'm hoping some of the MP and M7 users out there will find this DM irresistable and will flood the market with their obsolete film gear. Then I can buy an M7 for less than an arm and a leg.

I can't wait.

I'll mail you for my M6TTL when the time arrives then.... I just want one kidney and a pint of blood 😀

 

[fgianni]

Anyone that wants to get rid of their obsolete MP please send me a message, I am willing to help.

 

[VinceC]

>> Seems difficult to predict just what will be "current" in the digital world two years down the road. Isn't that like 4 generations in digital-speak?<<

I think digital sensor technology is actually getting fairly mature. Once you're in the 10 megapixel range with stable onboard processing firmware, you have replaced film in nearly all 35mm handheld shooting situations at which a small camera excels. (If you're into tripods, your images would be vastly superior with medium format film). Aside from the sensor, current DSLR and DP&S technology is centered around special operating modes, variants and innovation with SLR viewfinders, rapid sequence shooting and new concepts for controls, form factor and handling. While these are intriguing, I think most digital Leica customers would be looking for a classic camera layout with minimal intrusion from the digital technology. They want a camera that operates in a time-tested fashion while capturing on modern media. So to some extent, the digital-M should be immune to rapid-digital obsolesence. A 10 Megapixel image will still produce excellent images 10 and 25 years from now, barring any unforseen leaps in the evolution of the human eye.

 

[Ken Ford]

It's too bad that they weren't able/willing to develop a "DMM" and utilize existing bodies. I understand there are potential issues because of a lack of body electronics to tap into, but I would think that could be overcome with a simple retrofit of existing bodies. I think the RD1 has it right - no motor cocking of the shutter, a simple and traditional manual of arms. I even like how the LCD can be stowed.

All that said, I really wouldn't consider a Digital M unless it were 1x crop or very near to that - in no case more than 1.1x or thereabouts. Not because I'm a Luddite, but because I don't want any of my lenses to change character. I'm committed to and prefer Nikon's 1.5x crop on DSLRs, but Nikon ain't Leica and a DSLR ain't a RF.

Just my $1.27 (two cents adjusted for inflation).

 

[jaapv]

With current sensor technology a 35 mm sensor in a RF seems to be a contradiction. The acceptance angle of the pixels cannot accomodate the extremely oblique angle of the edge rays of RF wideangle lenses. Maybe some new development in sensors in the future? Not for some time at any rate.... You might be up to 5$ by that time 😉

 

[RML]

Not because I'm a Luddite, but because I don't want any of my lenses to change character.

Your lens won't change character at all as the crop factor doesn' affect the lens one bit.

I'm committed to and prefer Nikon's 1.5x crop on DSLRs, but Nikon ain't Leica and a DSLR ain't a RF.

Both Nikons and (d)SLRs are better than Leica's rf cameras. Tongue-in-cheek partly but not entirely. The best camera is the one you use. Guess which one I don't use... my M2.

 

[jaapv]

Selling the M2 Remy?