Ming Thein has an interesting review of the T, with some great product shots and sample photos,
here. He states it's "the first generation of a paradigm shift in the way we control and interact with our cameras," refering to the haptics of camera interaction (what we at RFF might call the 'science of fondling'.)
I'm quite disappointed (though neither surprised nor discouraged) by the reaction to this camera and new camera system here and elsewhere.
While Leica-pricey (which seems somewhat unavoidable, at least to me) my long-distance impression is that the T-system appears to have a fair dose of Leica-goodness, in the non-ridiculous sense. Mostly (from what I've seen in the reviews) in the lenses but also - and perhaps more importantly - in the combined touch-screen and customised-control-wheel interface for operating the camera. All the reviewers I've read seem to think that is well done and easy to use, for those familiar with smartphone touchscreen user interfaces, while allowing for physical controls as well.
While that is not how I want to interact with a camera, I can see that there could easily be a (well heeled) market for people who want a camera that isn't everyone else's smartphone, is a nice piece of product design, is capable of providing good-to-excellent photographic results and yet is easy to understand and use, immediately, for those with little or no technical photography knowledge.
I see the EVF as a nod to the more enthusiast end of the market, and the M-to-T adapter as (a) a sop to those who can't conceive of a non-M leica; and (b) a source of street-cred-based marketing (for whatever that's worth, which is little enough) while also allowing the hope of capturing sales from a few die-hards.
I am not the person this camera is being marketed to. (If I am, Leica needs a new marketing department.) I imagine many at RFF don't fit that market segment either. Honestly, if one of these things - fully featured in it's multi-thousand-dollar glory - dropped from the sky, right into my lap, I'd admire it then play with it and then never use it again. If I were allowed to sell it, or give it away, I would. If not, it would make an interesting and even attractive paperweight. Not because it's a bad camera, but because I have other cameras which I'd prefer to use, and adding another interesting camera to my collection of cameras I'm interested in, once or twice, yet seldom or never use afterwards, seems somewhat more indulgent for something that costs $$thousands than one that costs $$10s.
But that's me. I can see a pretty reasonable number of Leica Ts being sold, and even a number of buyers actually using them to take photos. I won't be one of those people, and that's OK. It doesn't offend me that the camera exists. It doesn't offend me that Leica is making a camera I don't want. I hope a good many people do want this camera and do use it. Because that will make them happy. It will bring happine$$ to Leica, and that might mean that Leica will bring out the occasional product I want (but can't afford). Eventually the products I want might become obsolete, and then I might buy one.
And that might make me happy, if that ever comes to pass.
...Mike
