Leica M-P : The preview lever returns to the M.240

[dcsang]

In spite of the fact I decided to drink the Leica kool aid and pony up for an M240 I don't really like what they're doing here. Remove the dot, (which I don't actually mind) increase the buffer and write speed and make a couple of other minor changes and charge a fair chunk more to own something that in reality has zero improvements for day to day shooting. You're paying the extra for perceived exclusivity with this new camera ... nothing more IMO.

I do like my 240 and have no regrets about the decision to buy it but the price, nearly eight grand in Oz, was a bloody rip off!

I fall into that same category as Keith does. I like the M240. I like the way the lenses render the images and it is a lot more like my M7 than I thought it would be (except for the lack of film of course) 🙂

But

Meh.... this "new" M-P and upping the price of the M240 by more than 4% when inflation in most countries is running at 2-3% is a bit much. Heck, I work for one of, if not the, biggest Canadian financial firm and even our "top performing" I.S. employees are maybe getting 5% raises this year.

All this "stuff" that Leica is doing just seems to reinforce their position as more a "luxury" brand than it does as a "serious camera manufacturer".

Dave

 

[Keith]

Dear Keith,

Damnably expensive. And of course there's the old story of the Australian cricket captain taking the English cricket captain into the changing room and saying, "This b*stard wants to know which of you b*stards called him a b*stard."

As for people taking themselves too seriously, there's an old saying involving pots and kettles...

Cheers,

R.

Pot .... from memory it's something you smoke, but what's a kettle? 😀

 

[Roger Hicks]

Pot .... from memory it's something you smoke, but what's a kettle? 😀

English police technical term...

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dante_Stella]

In spite of the fact I decided to drink the Leica kool aid and pony up for an M240 I don't really like what they're doing here. Remove the dot, (which I don't actually mind) increase the buffer and write speed and make a couple of other minor changes and charge a fair chunk more to own something that in reality has zero improvements for day to day shooting.

Why? Works for Fujifilm and the M4/3 manufacturers who crank out model after model with incremental feature changes and the same sensors.

I think what we lose track of as current owners is new models like this are probably aimed at people adding a new camera rather than replacing one. A rational person is not going to take the depreciation on an M then pay a grand more than that for a new one. But the difference is not as much when the comparison is between a $7K M and an $8K M-P. Bigger differences than that exist in Leica's regional pricing of the same model camera.

What is irritating is the Red Dot Blackmail, which is that Leica knows everyone wants dot-less cameras - yet seems to make that the second iteration of every model.

Dante

 

[jaapv]

The high price has always been and will always be a selling point. A cheap Leica would sell worse. Look at the Voigtlanders: they were a pretty good cheap alternative for Leica. Was that reflected in their popularity ? Rather not.

 

[kingqueenknave]

I fall into that same category as Keith does. I like the M240. I like the way the lenses render the images and it is a lot more like my M7 than I thought it would be (except for the lack of film of course) 🙂

But

Meh.... this "new" M-P and upping the price of the M240 by more than 4% when inflation in most countries is running at 2-3% is a bit much. Heck, I work for one of, if not the, biggest Canadian financial firm and even our "top performing" I.S. employees are maybe getting 5% raises this year.

All this "stuff" that Leica is doing just seems to reinforce their position as more a "luxury" brand than it does as a "serious camera manufacturer".

Dave

Can't they be both?

 

[jaapv]

What is irritating is the Red Dot Blackmail, which is that Leica knows everyone wants dot-less cameras - yet seems to make that the second iteration of every model.

Dante

I rather like the red dots- they make a perfect base for black paint.😛

 

[Sparrow]

... the beauty of every new Leica; one can be assured of capturing a divisive moment

 

[sanmich]

How many kidneys the marketing department in Wetzlar think human beings have? :bang:

 

[Godfrey]

I'm not bitter Godfrey ... I'm expressing my views as is my right.

If you disagree with my opinions fine, I'm a big boy I can handle that, but lay off the accusations of being bitter ... thanks!

The observation that calling something a "bloody rip off!" seems an expression of bitterness is not an accusation.

G

 

[Godfrey]

... the beauty of every new Leica; one can be assured of capturing a divisive moment

Best line I've seen pass by here in a while!

Thx,
G

 

[Michael Markey]

The observation that calling something a "bloody rip off!" seems an expression of bitterness is not an accusation.

G

I`m afraid the trouble is in the translation .
It stems from the same linguistic source where you call your dearest friend a "total b*stard" but someone that you really despise a " bit of a b*stard".

Confusing but I know what he meant ...
It isn`t restricted to Australia but also common in the London east end which is probably where it originates.

 

[Godfrey]

I`m afraid the trouble is in the translation .
It stems from the same linguistic source where you call your dearest friend a "total b*stard" but someone that you really despise a " bit of a b*stard".

Confusing but I know what he meant ...
It isn`t restricted to Australia but also common in the London east end which is probably where it originates.

If you're going to participate on an international forum, it's a good idea to write with an international audience in mind.

Even so, I don't think that it's true that people who are happy with their purchases perpetually whine and whinge about the price. It seems more an affectation—I know plenty of wealthy people who can easily afford an $8000 camera and have no reason to moan about how much it costs, but they do the same thing.

It's a camera. An expensive camera. Buy it if you want it and can afford it. Then use it. Going on and on about the price is boring.

G

 

[VertovSvilova]

... the beauty of every new Leica; one can be assured of capturing a divisive moment

😀

It's like a broken record, over and over and over again......

If you like it, buy it. For whatever reason. There's no point in justifying it to anybody. If you don't like it, don't buy it. For whatever reason. There's no point in justifying it to anybody. I think it's a pretty simple proposition.

 

[zuiko85]

From the ad copy on Leica's site;

"The Leica MP enables authentic images to be captured from the heart of life itself."

Well there you go folks. The rest of us, with our lowly Olympus, Yashica, Canon, etc fixed lens RF cameras must be "capturing" fake images. It's a good thing I found out now.

 

[Michael Markey]

It's a camera. An expensive camera. Buy it if you want it and can afford it. Then use it. Going on and on about the price is boring.
G

Oh ..couldn`t agree more.
I just don`t understand the angst generated about Leica.
Buy it if you can afford it , and its what you ,want otherwise don`t.

I find the negativity very dispiriting .

High end audio gear is much more expensive yet doesn`t seem to generate half as much chest beating.

A broken record indeed.

 

[Michael Markey]

From the ad copy on Leica's site;

"The Leica MP enables authentic images to be captured from the heart of life itself."

Well there you go folks. The rest of us, with our lowly Olympus, Yashica, Canon, etc fixed lens RF cameras must be "capturing" fake images. It's a good thing I found out now.

Well obviously that`s a load of marketing rubbish ...examples of which can be encountered every day, so why the sensitivity over this particular product.

You wouldn`t take it seriously if it were a washing machine so why should you suddenly take it seriously in this context.

PS ...I shoot Yashica and Canon ...so what.

 

[VertovSvilova]

Well obviously that`s a load of marketing rubbish ...examples of which can be encountered every day, so why the sensitivity over this particular product.

You wouldn`t take it seriously if it were a washing machine so why should you suddenly take it seriously in this context.

I agree. Ads from all camera manufacturers can be equally as bad. Do a Google image search of "camera ads."

 

[VertovSvilova]

High end audio gear is much more expensive yet doesn`t seem to generate half as much chest beating.

Actually it can. And the same with performance cars. Just wander into any high end car enthusiast or audiophile forum. 😱

Anyway, I think all of this has much less of a bearing on the products themselves and more on the nature of human beings in general. When it comes to consumerism, self-identification, and parting with one's money, humans can sometimes become strange birds....🙂

 

[Sparrow]

Best line I've seen pass by here in a while!

Thx,
G

... it was intended as more of an accusation than a line