Poll: Will Leica make good its promise for a full frame M8 upgrade?

Poll: Will Leica make good its promise for a full frame M8 upgrade?

  • Yes, I believe so.

    Votes: 70 26.6%

  • No, fat chance. Never ever happening. I would to like to believe it could be done.

    Votes: 56 21.3%

  • It's speculation. Unconfirmed rumour.

    Votes: 85 32.3%

  • Gut feeling, Leica may try but they're not going to pull it off.

    Votes: 52 19.8%
  • Total voters
    263
good heavens to betsy, isn't a cropped sensor M8 expensive enough? what on earth will a full frame cost? the M8 already costs more than my car is worth... are they making cameras for photographers or doctors?!?
 
rjporter said:
good heavens to betsy, isn't a cropped sensor M8 expensive enough? what on earth will a full frame cost? the M8 already costs more than my car is worth... are they making cameras for photographers or doctors?!?
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Since you asked: Doctors. :D But this doctor sold his M8 yesterday - not sure what that means, though... :) I will probably get another one in a couple of years, but it simply wasn't seeing much use compared to my other Leica/Zeiss film cameras and dSLR.
 
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Leica's statement is that they are in the very early stages of conceptual develoment of a full frame sensor version of a digital M. It may not prove to be viable. I have read no where that a ffs would be offered as an upgrade.

Bob

Leica's statement:

''Already, in the working hours since the departure of Steven Lee, the
Leica product development team has begun to review the M system
strategy. It is too early to say what changes will be made; however
it is likely that the path may differ from the one set by Steven Lee.
In any case, the M8 will continue to be our flagship camera into
2009. We can confirm that comments made during PMA regarding the
possibility of an M8 upgrade to full frame were premature and we
apologise if one of them gave a too optimistic outlook.
 
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rpsawin said:
Leica's statement is that they are in the very early stages of conceptual develoment of a full frame sensor version of a digital M.
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That may be a reasonable inference, but I don't read Leica's statement as saying that. Indeed, rejecting Lee's hint of that as premature.
 
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rpsawin said:
Leica's statement is that they are in the very early stages of conceptual develoment of a full frame sensor version of a digital M. It may not prove to be viable. I have read no where that a ffs would be offered as an upgrade.

Bob

Leica's statement:

''Already, in the working hours since the departure of Steven Lee, the
Leica product development team has begun to review the M system
strategy. It is too early to say what changes will be made; however
it is likely that the path may differ from the one set by Steven Lee.
In any case, the M8 will continue to be our flagship camera into
2009. We can confirm that comments made during PMA regarding the
possibility of an M8 upgrade to full frame were premature and we
apologise if one of them gave a too optimistic outlook.
Click to expand...

Question 1: Does anyone on this forum understand that you can't just pop a new, full-frame sensor into an older camera body? When you select a sensor you have to build the whole camera around the sensor. It ain't gonna happen with the current M body.

Question 2: If Leica comes up with an M9 that has a body about half again the size of the M8 and a good deal heavier, will anyone really consider it to be an M? That's assuming the thing can handle existing M lenses, which it might not.
 
rsl said:
Question 1: Does anyone on this forum understand that you can't just pop a new, full-frame sensor into an older camera body? When you select a sensor you have to build the whole camera around the sensor. It ain't gonna happen with the current M body.

Question 2: If Leica comes up with an M9 that has a body about half again the size of the M8 and a good deal heavier, will anyone really consider it to be an M? That's assuming the thing can handle existing M lenses, which it might not.
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Q1) Yeah,it's kind of like pulling a Pentium II chip out of my old laptop and expecting the new Dual Core to fit right in there. Sheer nonsense if you ask me.

Q2) What I want is a way to use my M mount glass on a digital camera. I don't really care why the box they attach to looks like. I'd take a digital M5 clone if they made one, if I could afford it. Hey, if I could get an M to Four Thirds adapter, I'd go that way.
 
Doug said:
That may be a reasonable inference, but I don't read Leica's statement as saying that. Indeed, rejecting Lee's hint of that as premature.
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Leica would be extremely stupid if they were not looking into the possibility.
It is extremely doubtful however, to put it mildly, that that possibility has a chance of turning into a reality at the present time. So it would be even more stupid of Leica to make any promises on the issue. In fact, it may be part of the reason that got Mr. Lee fired.
 
Full frame sensor Coming to a theatre near you

Full frame sensor Coming to a theatre near you

Leica will probably get a full frame sensor for their M cameras. The problem is Fuji will also intoduce a full frame one for their folding 6x6 camera at the same time.

Eric
 
eric mac said:
...The problem is Fuji will also intoduce a full frame one for their folding 6x6 camera at the same time.
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Interesting thought, Eric! But that's a 6x7 folder, image size roughly 56x70mm. A folding-bellows MF digital would be unique. It would be quite a different camera, replacing all the mechanical film-handling provisions of the design by electronics. If you stack two of the "full frame" 24x36mm sensors to make a 48x36mm sensor, that's not an uncommon size for medium format digitals. But it's a lot smaller than the camera's original film gate. The original 80mm lens is a mild wide-angle, with 58-deg angle of view. For a 48x36mm sensor, that same angle would be served up by about a 55mm lens, and it could take a shorter bellows and folding mechanism.
 
sitemistic said:
Whether Leica manages to get a full frame sensor into an M body isn't the critical issue for Leica. It's the price point at which the camera is introduced. I really believe, despite some statement to the contrary, that there is a price point that even the most rabid Leica supporter will not go.
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And no matter how "cheap", the most rabid basher will not support.
 
This has certainly gone full circle but is far from full sensor. When the original "Statement" was made about the upgrade it was never credible and now "Lee" has been fired, so much for the full sensor.


I would still like to see Fuji or Sigma come out with a generic and ugly M-Mount body with no rangefinder, only live view and a viewfinder centered on the top. A full sensor would be great but I would buy about anything M just to use my glass.
 
There is no obvious phyiscal reason why a FF M8 (or similar FF M system) could not be offered - so sooner or later it will be done. Whether the price is acceptable or not is a different matter (and yes I am aware of all of the stuff about the special M constraints like high angle of incidence on the sensor). My own opinion is that it would cost less than the current sensor.
 
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