First 1500 already sold and shipped, with 1500 backlog, as stated
here.
Jeff
It's hard to be 100% certain from the translation if Dr. Kaufmann meant 1500 sold & shipped to dealers, or 1500 pre-sold by dealers to customers. But it's hard to imagine that the M9-P will sell anywhere near the numbers of the M9.
First of all, people who haven't bought an M9 by now it's likely either because they have an issue with the technology (such as high-ISO) or the price. Not because a sapphire screen or a red logo dot are the deal-breakers. The chrome finish, perhaps. So a new model with old technology and a higher price isn't going to bring the majority of them into the fold. If anything, a large number of hold-offs will take advantage of low-mileage M9 trades.
Second, of people who already own an M9, surely no one would expect all or even a majority of them to buy a second body, suddenly, now, this late in the product life-cycle, for $1000 more than an M9, only because of the mostly-cosmetic differences. Again, some of them will probably buy the M9 trades. And so far Leica have not announced that the M9 Classic is to be discontinued. Unlike the M8.2 which had more user-friendly frame lines and a reputedly more durable and quieter shutter in addition to the sapphire, the M9P has a more limited set of differentiating features.
Third, Leica is offering to convert M9's to M9P's, partially or fully. If there is even a temporary burgeoning of M9's on the used market, depending on how low the selling prices get, people may find it more economical to have theirs converted than to sell and purchase a new one.
So even if there are 1500 pre-sold and 1500 more on wait lists, it's still far too early to predict how well the M9P will sell. I hope it is a resounding success for Leica, because that's where the money will come from to develop new models with the kind of
real technological advances those of us seek who aren't as interested in the cosmetics of our cameras.
