Im surprised at people in this forum, the core of this site revolves around Leica and cameras that use its mount and with that comes an understanding what Leica is and what it costs.
Well, there's a grand issue right there. What Leica "is" is a matter of debate, as the company and its priorities seemed to have changed quite a bit with the digital transition, and i'd wager a lot of us here are remnants of the film era. Back then, yes, the money i paid for M7s was quite high, but it was still less than a 5D, and an M7 is never going to be made obsolete. Even the lenses were spendy, but not at the levels they now reach. There was no questioning that, when Leica released an MP after an M7, it was addressing needs/wants of its customer base, and it wasn't straying from tradition. But, tradition is gone.....
Now, they're putting out disposable product with lifetime prices. And, never on top of the tech development curve. That's fine if that's all they're capable of, but then the go toward insult by marketing that stuff to 'the wrong kinds of people.' On a rumor forum, the M's firmware update was illustrated by an M camera in two white-gloved hands. The Precious M. Then, the T is described lustily as requiring 50 hours to construct each body, and that it takes one craftsman 45 minutes to polish the hull. Whoopdi-damn-doo. Seriously? Is that what they're about these days? Has anyone ever said what they really need to better photography is an aluminum, handcrafted hull?
I'm always sorta wondering if they do what they do in order to keep the price up toward exclusion. Surely, it's a niche, and companies and marketers are always keen on identifying and satisfying a niche, but christ on a bike — they don't seem to be able to do it without leaning toward insult.
I'm certainly not anti-luxury goods. I covet quite often. But, that, again, is the issue — the 'switch.' Leica used to be one thing. And, now, they're like an extremist perversion of that one thing.
"...what Leica is and what it costs" is now obscene.
Back to this particular camera....
It's, what, $2850 for just a body? And, the lenses are $1500+ each. That's a lot for APS-C, but i suppose, in Leica world, it's a 'bargain' compared to the M8's starting point. But, again, we're dealing with last year's tech. It uses the same sensor as the X-Vario? No viewfinder... again, not terribly in touch with the 'leica audience' — at least, not with the core audience. The people who built and sustained the legacy. This is just another camera, and even if it outperforms a Fuji, it can't do it by any significant margin, and there is no advantage it could have that will actually improve a photograph.
I do applaud the user interface, from what i've seen in stills. The graphical+touch approach is probably a winner.
Yeah. But, no. No thanks to the entire deal. I have zero interest in any format smaller than 'full frame,' and for this money, i'd rather have a Sony. In fact, if i had a billion dollars, i'd rather have a Sony. At some point, it's not even really about the money. It's about the
sense or lack thereof.
