That's the price I thought would be for the ME, a true step wise change in price and something to keep Sony or Fuji from coming into the FF M market. Oh, well.
doesn't this just make it more obvious that someone willing to make a digital rangefinder (and I'm looking at you, Cosina!) with a FF sensor and M-mount at a decent price will clean up? Imagine Cosina selling a digital CL or Ikon at $3000 even? Sales would be incredible.
Yep, I think the market is going to fix this. Sony is telegraphing a FF camera and if Fuji does it it will make Leica's offering look like stone age flint tools. I know tech isn't everyones cup of tea, but how much would Fuji charge for a FF pro?
Suddenly, the Sony RX1 doesnt seem like such a bad deal after all.. You get both camera AND lens for 2800$..
We'll have to see the final performance, but it seems like it will be an M class lens wtih a free FF sensor. And sensor and lens can be optimized....
Thanks dude.
Why would people not pay $1500 more and get the new Leica M digital over this ME thing?
If that is not absurd then what is?
If you're in the market for a digital Leica $1500 is not a lot of money.
For an M body and a complement of lenes, it gets lost in the rounding.
Okay, Sony's got my money.
Leica should have named it the MEh as in the sighing the sound you make when you really don't care about something.
My only thought is that they are going to dial down the MEh price rapidly so that it gets to below $4500 by the time the M comes out.
I'd rather buy a used M9 than the MEh.
I really thought I was going to buy one of the MEh's. The price breaks on the M9 to me were signalling that pricing was going to be lower than it was. Leica should have kept the M9 at its current price till the M came out. I really don't see a reason to discount it till then. Bring out the MEh at $2000 ($1500+$500) difference, and the MEh looks reasonable. At a $500 delta it just seems odd.
At least the M wasn't $10k like some were guesstimating.
At least they left room for a FF Fuji or Sony.--- And that is what I wonder. Leica was the last ones to show their 'hole cards'. I wonder if Leica had two plans. If the FF Fuji or Sony RX1 was a interchangeable mount, the MEh would have been priced lower. Leica let everyone else show their cards, and then decided they didn't need to price the MEh competitively to meet theses models- so they priced it at $5500. If Sony or Fuji had launched, they would have priced the MEh at $4000. That makes sense from a product positioning sense.
Leica, like most competitors, isn't going to change their odd behavior until they are faced with a true threat. By pricing the MEh where they did they are probably enticing someone into their market.