Leica has stopped making film cameras already in 2009 ?

Keith said:
That's a scary statistic IMO.

All it takes is some soulless automaton in a boardroom to look at a stat like that and thinking ... "Maybe we should drop these film cameras and concentrate wholely on our digital future?"

Hopefully the good doctor would never let this happen ... but he is a businessman after all who has to consider the future of his company!
Click to expand...
Dear Keith,

Not many soulless automata at Leica, fortunately. And besides, it's quite easy for them to make more film cameras if demand rises.

Cheers,

R.
 
That's a comforting thought Roger ... anyway if you believe what some the real Leica diehards tell us they stopped at the M3! 😛
 
well, you have to admit that the production of the eminently expendable digital cameras is a good marketing plan. (Obligatory planned obsolescence reference). The M9s in production now are replacing 5 year old M8s, rather than 40 year old M3s.

On the other hand, I am of the opinion that this is a cruddy translation. Something I deal with on a daily basis. If you can order the cameras a la carte, they are not "out of production" in any meaningful way.
 
maddoc said:
Here is the original Japanese title from the actual issue of the magazine:

緊急速報
銀塩ライカ「撤退」の衝撃！
赤城耕一　ほか


[撤退] translates to "distraction, withdrawal, cancellation"


Of course I could be wrong ...
Click to expand...

I read the article. It's very clear. At a meeting on May 30th arranged by the Japan Camera Industry Institute (JCII), Andreas Kaufmann announced that Leica is no longer making film cameras.
 
If true, I don't see cause for surprise or concern insofar as there are plenty of high-quality Ms that can be brought up the speed for less than a new MP. The move would be one way to migrate users to the digital age and cover the sunk costs of developing that sensor that was thought to be impossible not long ago.
 
flip said:
If true,
Click to expand...

No reason to believe the Leica CEO is lying 😉

flip said:
I don't see cause for surprise or concern insofar as there are plenty of high-quality Ms that can be brought up the speed for less than a new MP. The move would be one way to migrate users to the digital age and cover the sunk costs of developing that sensor that was thought to be impossible not long ago.
Click to expand...

Kaufmann is also quoted in the Asahi Camera article as saying even if Leica did offer a successor to the MP, the price would be around 500,000 - 600,000 yen and its main competitors would be used Leicas.
 
flip said:
The move would be one way to migrate users to the digital age and cover the sunk costs of developing that sensor that was thought to be impossible not long ago.
Click to expand...

It's the sensible option.
All bases are covered now with S2, M9 and X1. Something for everyone.
 
If this is true it's huge and the logical flow on will be a knee jerk reaction in the used Leica market ... prices will likely climb steadily!

Hang on to your hats! 😱
 
Why not ask someone at Leica? I bet someone can contact them and ask.

I guess Leica would always manufacture the cameras in Batches, new M's aren't the same as cellphones.
Might be possible that they suffer as the same as Rollei F&H, they went bankrupt because of the competition; that was the older models. In this case it would be just stopped production.

It would be bad, I don't own a Leica, but they are the legend. Anyways, there are many used Ms around.
 
Keith said:
If this is true it's huge and the logical flow on will be a knee jerk reaction in the used Leica market ... prices will likely climb steadily!

Hang on to your hats! 😱
Click to expand...

If I have learned one thing in my short life it is that markets react irrationally, if at all.

In this case, I think that you'd be right if the world still was focussed on film and a major player like Leica was dropping out. As the world has largely moved-on, I can only wish well the collectors who want to build-up a surplus of stock on gadgets that are just as likely to go up in value as to face a collapsing market. I think rarities will hold value as fetish items, but there's a lot of Leicas out there.
 
We always knew the axe would fall one day ... I didn't think it would be just yet though!

Deinitely never selling my M2 and M3 now. 😛
 
If this is true, what a shocking development (pun intended). It's difficult for me to conceive of Leica unceremoniously abandoning film, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

As long as they don't lose their skilled labor, I suppose they would always have the ability to fire up the line again.
 
While the concept of Leica abandoning film camera production saddens me, I can't imagine paying $4500+ for a new film camera. Not going to happen. I can't imagine most normal photography hobbyists paying it either. That price tag says to me that the MP/M7 are intended primarily for professional photographers, most of whom have now gone digital. Given this, it would make sense for Leica to switch to digital only to satisfy the professional market.
 
Assuming it's true, and as others say, it seems to be so, then (a) I am indeed surprised but (b) I suspect they'll go on offering à la carte for a good while yet. Film cameras take a lot longer to assemble than digital, incidentally. From a factory visit I seem to recall 11 hours and 8 respectively.

How many of those bemoaning the disappearance of new film Leicas have ever bought one?

Cheers,

R.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom