I'd still be too cheap to buy a $50,000 camera. I'd just get the $4000 Fujifilm instead.
I've used 42mp cameras and have sold relatively large prints from them. A 16x24" print from it looked perfect even close up. The buyer was happy peeping up close. If I had used my 24mp Fujis, which I prefer, I would not have been able to be at as high of a DPI diminishing the wow factor in his hands. It would have been ok, but just not as impressive. However, I do not anticipate needing 100mp. 50mp is certainly nice if you want to print a 20x30" print close to optimum DPI. A 100mp print at 300 DPI is approximately 28x39" ... which is big, but not super big in the art world. I'm of the opinion that MPs can come in handy in some situations.
Guth
Appreciative User
I believe much of the sentiment shared in this thread points to why Leica felt the need to re-invent themselves as a lifestyle brand. My guess is that they saw the writing on the wall long before they produced their first digital M. The focus as it pertains to the brand today is not so much about the durability or reliability of any given product so much as it is the desirability. They have positioned themselves in a such a way that "who is buying their products" is likely of greater concern to them than what products are actually being purchased. Furthermore, I would guess that the cost associated with replacing defective or otherwise faulty equipment is likely inconsequential to much of the customer base that they've cultivated over the past few years.
Michael Markey
Veteran
Agreed .... the focus of their marketing reinforces this message .
It`s a trend followed by other manufacturers .
The British clothing brand Barbour at one time made rugged outdoor clothing for farmers and sportsmen but now they have morphed into a fashion brand .
I don`t see anything wrong with that but if you`re looking at practicalities there are other alternatives .
robert blu
quiet photographer
These are interesting comments. I think this "re-inventing themselves" has a great role in keeping the company profitable in spite of its size.
As a passionate photographer who sees cameras as a tool and not a fashion accessory I am sometimes disturbed by some of the decisions made by Leica. But it is up to us as "client or consumers" to decide to follow them or not each time there is a new proposal.
I was on the fence 4 years ago to buy an M9/ME but I had doubts and went on to photograph with the M7 and the old Leica X1, my only digital camera in that time and waited till the moment I could afford a different camera. which was the M10 three years ago.
Of course if I had bought the M9/ME I would be now disappointed but also aware that a lifelong support for a digital camera was not a realistic expectation.
In the end these are the times we are living in
PS: referring to functionality there are many valid alternatives, but if you look for a digital rangefinder...
Out to Lunch
Ventor
Leica recently announced the discontinuation of the M10...
That`s not very unusual since the M10-P is available as its 24mp model.
Out to Lunch
Ventor
I just dug into this saga, again, and it appears that Leica still offers its upgrade program to owners of an M9 or M-E with a corroded sensor: https://us.leica-camera.com/World-o...-camera-models-Leica-M9-M9-P-M9-Monochrom-M-E I'll check with Leica Germany whether this program is available at the Leica Boutiques in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Yokosuka Mike
Abstract Clarity
Really? Not unusual? I guess I'm just a fool for expecting a company to stand by their product for more than a a few months.
I recently took my Sigma SD1 Merrill to Sigma to get the sensor and prism cleaned. They fond over me like I was the best customer they ever had. The cleaned everything for free. They gave me a Sigma calendar and lens cleaning cloths for free. Did I mention the free green tea? And, all this for a discontinued camera that they still regard as a ground breaking work of art.
Well, that's life.
All the best,
Mike
Discontinued and no longer supported are two totally different things. The former just means they are not selling it anymore. This always happens when a “P” model is introduced. I’m not sure why you think Leica won’t support it.
nightfly
Well-known
Just to give some perspective, the M9 was introduced in 2009.
I bet there are a lot of other cameras that came out at that time that you can no longer get sensors for.
I bet there are a lot of other cameras that came out at that time that you can no longer get sensors for.
Larry Cloetta
Veteran
Sigma does seem to have a legitimately different corporate ethos than other companies. In a good way, and in actions not just talk. It’s an interesting company.
robert blu
quiet photographer
The M10.P is an improvement of the M10. It makes sense not to have two very similar model sin the catalogue.
Out to Lunch
Ventor
It's not about new models or wear and tear. The Leica M-E was launched late 2012, and as we speak, its failing sensors can no longer be replaced. This sensor did not wear out due to use. It failed, because it was poorly designed and should not have been put in that camera in the first place. Today, Leica gives you the option to upgrade, at a considerable cost, to a later model -with a different sensor. Cheers, OtL
I feel for you... but unfortunately the M-E was a derivative of the M9... it used the same sensor.
Ricoh
Well-known
How long before we hear the same story about the M240 sensor?!
On the plus side, German cameras don’t seem to be in the throw-away league as some from the Far East.
On the plus side, German cameras don’t seem to be in the throw-away league as some from the Far East.
Have we heard about it regarding any other camera? It was unfortunate for Leica and it’s users, but it is not a common occurrence.
fti
Established
Some interesting perspectives; particularly in regards to pricing for M9s. For the long time M9 users here, we've seen Leica go from free sensor replacements, to paid, to discontinuance. Matter of time I guess. I managed to get a secondhand M9-P last year with a 2016 upgraded sensor - which should be corrosion-proof. I've been toying with the idea of going to a film M and selling the M9-P. I wonder if I should wait..... wonder if my 'precious' would become even more precious
raid
Dad Photographer
I sent my M9 to Leica Camera NJ during the last month when Leica was still covering for free a sensor replacement. I did not see any sensor corrosion, and I just mailed out my M9 to have it checked out by Leica. They decided that the sensor was damaged and they sent me back my M9 with a new sensor. It may have been 2 years ago. Was it then when the free sensor replacement period ended or was it earlier?
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
It was exactly the same for me. I sent my M9, with no visible defect, during the final month. Leica pronounced the sensor defective and replaced it.