Money savings plan for the M9?

Nobody really knows what an eventual Leica M9 will cost. But I have asked prominent dealers both here in Norway and Cathay Photo, Singapore. It is easy to predict that a M9 will be more expensive than a Canon 1Ds III or Nikon D3x. Due to the much lower over all sales volume. With today's currency relation between the US$ and € they both say that '10,000 US$' is a very likely price.

Leica has confirmed that they are indeed working with a new M-model and that they are facing some tough challanges regarding IR/UV filtering. Among others. Some say that a M9 will be ready later this year. I dont believe that. There is no suitable sensor available yet. Without a good sensor, Leica has no camera. A new M-camera with a larger and better sensor will hardly be available on the shelves before 'early 2012'.

BTW, in some Canon forums some people report about a partnership between Canon and Leica in order to get rid of the outdated sensor and adopt the whole electronics of the EOS 5D2. To me it sounds like a wish... like a wish I have.
 
Al, I bought my Black Nikon FTN on "Lay away". I was a photo student at The Maryland Institute College of Art ( MICA) I would go in when ever I got some extra cash and put the money on my account. Took forever but it was mine free and clear.
Also my parents paid everything in cash. My father didn't believe in credit. We didn't have a lot growing up but I never felt in the least deprived. I still don't believe in carrying debt.
 
I must admit that I do carry some credit card debt but the house, truck, boat, cameras, and art collection are free and clear. When I needed to get my transmission rebuilt it made more sense to put it on VISA than to sell securities in a down market, and VISA was offering 1.99% with no payments until January 2010. That's one step away from free money.
 
BTW, in some Canon forums some people report about a partnership between Canon and Leica in order to get rid of the outdated sensor and adopt the whole electronics of the EOS 5D2. To me it sounds like a wish... like a wish I have.

I don't believe that Canon is in a position to share their sensor technology with a non-Japanese company. Simply because much of the development cost of their sensors has been covered by Japanese tax payers.

Leica cooperates with Kodak on sensors. That is well enough. It is not just about putting a large FF-sensor into a M-body. The sensor must be especially made for rangefinder camera characteristics of steep light angles. Canon's CMOS sensors are not useful at this. They show dramatic light fall of, in some cases up to three - four stops from senter to corner, due to rather modest light angles. In a RFF camera they would not function at all.

Those who follow sensor technology closely say that there is no known sensor, from Kodak or anyone else, available yet that will improve the picture quality of a RFF camera dramatically.

Not yet...
 
Al , isn't this how our parents made most any large purchase? They saved for it. Saving and then making the purchase means you don't have to worry. and if you can't save for it,maybe you weren't meant to have it anyway.

Both yes and no.

My parents, I am sure most parents of people my age, did borrow money in a strictly regulated market of limited resources to lend. Still, they picked up some debt that is quite considerable even by today's standard. That is, compared to what they earned. But they were also helped along with some years with hair raising inflation. The huge mortgages of the late 60' was soon turned into small change by the end of the 70'.

And we, the next generation, were helped along with a dramatic increase in property prices, - and price fall of consumer goods; from cars to cameras.
 
For those of you like me who cannot instantly whip out alot of cash all of a sudden for a new M camera, one would like to know around how much the new M9 will cost roughly when it hits the store shelves. It would give me an idea as to how much I should save now and then so I am ready to buy around 6 months after it comes out (I waited 6 months for the M8 so all the issues known with the camera could be corrected or fixed). One would think the current M8.2 price would be about right (any higher in these economic times would be very difficult for Leica. Even some people with money are holding back on donating to charity in many cases due to their losses in the market). So how many of you on this forum have been asking yourself the same question here?

I guess I could sell my coin collection or a kidney...
 
Not flawed at all, no way! You can dial in the auto-compose to imitate the style and look of dozens of famous photographers.
 
Not flawed at all, no way! You can dial in the auto-compose to imitate the style and look of dozens of famous photographers.

Hehe... you can also pre-order an M10 "à la carte". I get mine with an HCB custom switch that automatically decides when to push the button. :D
 
When I needed to get my transmission rebuilt it made more sense to put it on VISA than to sell securities in a down market, and VISA was offering 1.99% with no payments until January 2010. That's one step away from free money.

That's pretty much in keeping with my way of doing things. Any time you can borrow money at a lower rate than your investments are making, that makes sense. Right before I bought my M8 I got an offer for a VISA card where any purchases in the first year were interest-free for that year, so I paid my M8 off in 12 installments at 0%. I highly doubt that option will present itself at the time the M9 comes along :(
 
I just keep saving money like business is usual which means saving 30%+ of my annual income. So the purchase will probably come out of that saving. I probably won't buy a brand new M9 though.

In general, I usually never buy anything that I can't afford to pay with what I have in cash saving, except when buying a house...
 
If someone buys my Imacon scanner I will probably be able to afford an M8 and a lens for it...
 
Furthermore, it's not just that so many of us go into hock without much of a thought, it's what we go into hock for that makes me shake my head, much of it stuff that doesn't last. We've all heard about people who bought cars that fell apart before they'd even finished making the payments on them. It's the yoke of perpetual debt. Even when you're "done", you're not done. The idea of debt as a temporary state has only come back into vogue under extreme duress.

The personal solution is to get rid of whatever debts are dragging you down, and avoid taking on more if at all possible. If half the country did this, however, our "consumer economy" might look a lot sicker than it does now. (Sigh...remember when we were a producer economy, besides saving a bit more?)

What is more, even 'wise' or 'necessary' debt (eg a mortgage for a roof over your head) creates its own problems. With no debts, you can (just about) live on an income that falls below the income tax threshold in most countries. Take on the debt; you have to earn more; and now, as well as interest and capital, you're paying income tax...

Cheers,

R. ,
 
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