It's time for some Leica speculation fun...

[huntjump]

I'm a fan of leica to a degree, with lotta respect for what they have innovated over their lifespan.

What raised hairs on the back of my neck about Leica though was how they hyped the entire May 10 event, using all their paid 'pros' to promote it (which is essentially just normal folks who love photography) only to release two products that pretty much are for very wealthy people. I dont get what they were trying to do? Piss off 99% of us? They didnt need to make such a big hoopla over it if most of us cannot buy it, cannot even imagine buying it, and even those who may have the money to buy it can't see any reason to buy it. But hell im no CEO, so maybe they know something we dont know. If it really is to tap into the Sheiks of the world, and this trend continues, then ya that is very sad.

They still make the best glass in the world, and all the used stuff out there doesnt get crappier (maybe more $ :/) by the outrageous prices of the newest cron. Or better yet, as some have already said, maybe the other guys (CV, zeiss) will jump in deeper.

 

[robbeiflex]

Oops Dave...forgot the smiley for mine (to clarify that I was joking). I truly do not think Leica needs a flagship model. With its stores, they now just need to have product on the shelves. Do niche / luxury companies have a flagship model? or do they just have legacy models?

Actually, I visited one of their stores recently in Hong Kong. Not much by way of product on the shelves there. One each of M9, M9P, M7 and a handful of lenses and compacts. As many employees as cameras on the shelf. Even more sparse than an Apple store but with a black/red theme rather than white. It is definitely a luxury boutique, not a typical camera store, and it seems to be working for them. It would go out of business quickly if the supply of nouveau über-weathy would stop buying M9 with 'Lux at a high frequency. Somehow I doubt its the kind of "shop" a pro is going to stop by to pick up a memory card or battery on the way to his or her next shoot. 😀

Leica is practically creating a market in cameras and lenses parallel to the luxury mechanical Swiss watch market, and this will pay the bills for them as long as they maintain credibility by not soiling the brand with silly extensions.

In this context, why not M9.1, M9.2, M9.3 over the next decade just to keep the sensor and firmware current? Why do so many think there should be an M10 only 3 years after M9 when the M6 was the flagship product for two decades? Is an Omega Seamaster, which is available today in quartz, so much different from a mechanical one from the 1950s?

Cheers,
Rob

 

[huntjump]

A

In this context, why not M9.1, M9.2, M9.3 over the next decade just to keep the sensor and firmware current? Why do so many think there should be an M10 only 3 years after M9 when the M6 was the flagship product for two decades? Is an Omega Seamaster, which is available today in quartz, so much different from a mechanical one from the 1950s?

Cheers,
Rob

I agree with you on some of your points. I would say, to compare the m6 to digital bodies is a bit apples to oranges. Digital technology could never stay stagnant for 2 decades like film bodies (film was not advancing while digital is changing fast. Just look at the d70 to the d800 in a few years). Thus, leica wasn't being left in the dust with the m6 by not updating it over all those years. With the M9 and the like, they will get left behind very fast as every other company continues to push R&D and put out better and better digital cameras. Digital Cameras ...Moore's Law...maybe. Leica needs to put an M10 within 3-4 years to stay current with every other camera company in the world. It's not in my opinion comparable to watches either

 

[robbeiflex]

Actually, I was making the watch comparison more from the point of view of what people are likely to spend money on as a luxury item, not so much as a technology argument. Point taken though.

Also, I think that digital camera technology is maturing and the need to constantly upgrade slowing down with it. Not that Canon and Nikon's marketing departments want to hear, just my opinion.

 

[Paul Luscher]

Yes, Leica makes money hand over fist NOW with a digital rangefinder using the M-body as its core. But that's because it not only has a niche market, but a captive one. If you want a digital rangefinder, they're about the only place to go.

But if someone else was to come out with a competitively priced digital rangefinder (especially if it took M lenses), I think Leica would be in a world of hurt. Which makes me wonder why Zeiss Ikon has never to date "digitized" their ZM camera.....