No New M9 but M8-2 - Leica Announcement

[rxmd]

It still shows however that the more expensive camera is, the more sense factory upgrade can make.

Definitely. It makes more sense to have expenses protecting your investment if said investment was sufficiently high in the first place.

As side note, what makes me think this might be for real is the detail about bringing down max shutter speed from 1/8000 to 1/4000. It's not something that usual Web forum wet dreams are made of 🙂

That's what makes me think it might be a practical joke, to watch the outrage in the Leica communities. That kind of thing works much more effectively if you can tie it to a "What were they thinking??" sentiment.

Philipp

 

[varjag]

Well firstly the shutter is off-the-shelf, secondly it's what Leica was using anyway for the R series, so while interesting, you can't read too much into that.

I'm not reading too much I think, just remarking that the gate is wide enough for FF sensor already.

 

[Sparrow]

I bet ze Germans are laughing at us.....😀

Yes but is the author of the article laughing?? 😕

 

[rxmd]

I bet ze Germans are laughing at us.....😀

All ze way to ze bank! 😛

 

[sebastel]

I bet ze Germans are laughing at us.....😀

korrekt, but for different reezons zan you zink.

 

[rxmd]

Zey are not tellink, but zey hav veys of makink you zink what zey vant you to zink.

 

[sebastel]

ze ones i kno zey laugh at all ze fuss comming up from only a rumour.

---

honestly: we should just wait and see. still, thanks to the threadowner to have submitted this information!

there is a nice german phrase for what i plan about this: "abwarten und tee trinken."
(wait and see, and have tea in the meantime)

 

[KoNickon]

Maybe he got the monitor for free -- and doesn't spend much time using it anyway.

How many M8 users haven't gone the film M route already? My guess is that most are veteran M users and hoped the M8 would be the solution -- they wouldn't need to worry about being able to keep using their M lenses if film became obsolescent. So they plunked down a lot of money for the M8, and between the infrared filter thing, other reports of quality issues, and now this, they might be feeling they've been taken for a bit of a ride. I guess if I had an M8, I'd be rather ticked off myself.

 

[btrancho]

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/44589-m8-upgrade-kit-leica.html

 

[jamriman]

1/4000 sec

1/4000 sec

Perhaps the noise is only optimized up to 1/4000 sec.

 

[etrigan63]

IMHO, the image of the person's storefront (if that is an image of his storefront) shows him to be a guy deeply rooted in photography, not web design. Some of the best artisans in this niche have less than spectacular websites (sorry Luigi, but it's true). This does not detract from them being good at what they do.

Regarding the rumor, its just that a rumor. Speculation really, as the site owner has not posted the "official letter from Leica" that others have claimed to have seen. Till a press release materializes, this is just a UFO sighting.

I have tried my contacts at Leica, but as expected, they are all at PMA. I am eagerly awaiting a press release from them one way or the other.

<speculation>
Should this rumor be true, the implications are staggering as it changes the base economic model for professional level cameras. To date, when new features were added to a pro camera (any camera actually), said camera model was discontinued and a newer model came out to replace it. This left owners with the following choice: forego the new features and stick with the camera you have or sell your camera at a loss and use whatever you got for it to help fund the purchase of newer model. Works for cars and cameras so far. Now Leica is purportedly going to set this economic model on its ear. Following the philosophy that one does not buy a Leica, one invests in Leica, Leica seems to be willing to make good on that promise by providing a means to keep the camera up-to-date for about the amount of money you would have lost to depreciation anyway.

It seems to me the only real losers in this scenario are auction sites and the used camera body market.

I wonder if the upgrade will have some sort of visible change (like engraving a "-2" or "Mk II" after the "M8" on the front of the camera or maybe on the top plate)?

</speculation>

 

[bluepenguin]

Good thing that I saw this post after I sold my m8. LOL....
I will be waiting for my next m mount digital rf.

 

[nksyoon]

Seems to be official:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/44588-m8-upgrade-s-official.html

I also received the same text by email.

 

[ramosa]

ha, good point, e5. i'm interested to know if new M8s will have the updates? i would think so ... but at what cost?

 

[thomasw_]

The concept of a modular, continuously upgradable M8 makes me think that, when I have the dollars, I will invest in this philosophy. I agree with this approach to doing business; especially in trying to leave a few less environmental footprints.

 

[splitimageview]

This is going to be a very long thread. 🙂

 

[PATB]

When are upgraded M8s goint to be available?

When are upgraded M8s goint to be available?

This announcement just put a halt on current M8 sales, unless dealers are so unscrupulous as to not tell potential customers about the upgrade just to clear stock.

Perhaps new old stock will be offered at current price minus the upgrade cost?

 

[Ben Z]

I wonder why I didn't get the e-mail from Leica? I'm registered on the customer part of their website. Anyway, this upgrade doesn't solve any of the things that irritate me about the M8 (though I'm hoping the new firmware that's coming Friday will have some good results...I skipped 1.110 because it offered me nothing but the risk of messing up the camera which at least works well now). Anyway if I had the upgrade in August the 2 year warranty would overlap one year left on my original warranty, so I'd wait another year before doing it anyway. Maybe by then there'll be a truly significant upgrade.

As to the shutter, I wonder whether all the shutter fault/failures aren't the real reason behind the change. My M8's shutter noise is all after the shot, the motor winder, otherwise it's fairly quiet. In that case I'd rather wait out my warranty, and if the shutter fails they'll have to fix it for free.

 

[photogdave]

So the M8 will be infinitely upgradable for all time (as I read the release). What is the incentive an existing owner to buy an M9?

Maybe there won't be an M9. Or maybe it will be full frame and more expensive, therefore giving Leica shooters the same choices as Canon and Nikon shooters. Can't Leica have more than one choice in digital bodies too?

 

[Ben Z]

This announcement just put a halt on current M8 sales

I have to think Leica will have to take back their un-sold stock and upgrade it free of charge, or raise the price of new-and-improved M8's by $1800. Otherwise I can see Leica's dealer network fall apart quickly.