Price increase for Leica USA and M8 Delivery

[MP Guy]

First of all I do not want to see a film vs digital war start here.

As far as price is concerned, its about the same price of a nice dslr such as a nikon d2x. So, although 5k seems like a lot its not out of the norm for the type of product. Also, if you own m lenses, more than half of your investment has already been made 🙂

 

[x-ray]

The good news is it's the first really pro RF digital system and our existing lenses will work on it. I see it as another tool not a replacement for film or our DSLR's. It will suplement my 1DsmkII equipment for my commercial clients and might even become my #1 camera. Although I use my canon system daily on assignments and really like the quality of the system, cannon support and the quality of the images. No matter how good the system and images are it's not the total answer to all work. Some jobs lend themselves better to RF vs SLR. One thing I've learned over the past seven years of digital shooting is that I will let someone else buy the first and get the bugs out before I invest my 5K. I've been through the digital madness and plunked down my money and have returned to film for my personal work. It's very unlikely that even the M8 will replace my M film cameras and change my love for film photography.

http://www.photo.net/photos/X-Ray

 

[ch1]

First of all I do not want to see a film vs digital war start here.

As far as price is concerned, its about the same price of a nice dslr such as a nikon d2x. So, although 5k seems like a lot its not out of the norm for the type of product. Also, if you own m lenses, more than half of your investment has already been made 🙂

Jorge,

Thanks for "causing a pause" because this should not be a digi v. film thread.

As a "cross over" shooter I am glad to finally see the digiM (er...M8) be announced. Not currently a M-mount shooter I have a higher $ hurdle to climb if I want to go there - but glad that option is now there.

[Oh, BTW, have to now learn more about that guy in HK who says he has Nikkor to M-mount rings! 😀 )

But, what kind of p'o'd me was the claim that suddenly a 35mm frame camera (of any kind) would now be like a MF? 😕

Odd claim to me, anyway.

 

[Avotius]

ill wait for the full framed one so I can use my 35 cron the way it was ment to be used

plus 5000 is just way too expensive, I think knocking at least 2000 off that price would be a little more resonable....

 

[StuartR]

I just spent 400 dollars not including processing for six weeks of film. Amortized to a year, that is 3500 dollars a year on film before processing. The digital M is starting to sound like a bargain to me...

I am interested to see how the ISO 400+ performs. Below 400 the DMR is fantastic, but at 400 and above it is still great, just no longer competative with Canon. The M8 will have a different sensor and a different firmware maker (Jenoptik), so it will be interesting to see how it performs at high ISO's. Granted, I shoot mostly at ISO 100, but it is nice to have a superb 800 or 1600 when you need it.

 

[Creagerj]

What does it look like? Where can we look at specs?

 

[MP Guy]

too bad its not chrome 🙁 I guess this would be a good excuse to get the 75 or 28

 

[wyk_penguin]

Well, there you have it, kind of a so what?

I think that now that Godot is about to arrive the anticipation is as bubbly as a bottle of flat soda.

I do think its too bad they are calling it the M8 and not the D8 or DM8.

Sounds as if the M7 is indeed the end of Leica's film RF line....

Edit: then again, they probably could not maintain two RF production lines....?

It sounds like that. 🙁 But maybe in the future they will go M9F 😀 ..... digital is the way to go?

The question remains. What is there to improve on the M? A hinged back perhaps? IMHO, there is not much to do with film Ms. As for digital, this year could be the year of 12 Mega pixels and the next year woud be that of 15 Mega pixels. The road could be endless (so is the GAS). If Leica is to survive till the next century, it has to go into the dirty battlefield of pixels.

 

[Steve B]

.

To DSLR or not to DSLR? That is the question.

No offense meant but if your style of photography is one where a DSLR is even a consideration I wonder why you would use a RF in the first place. A DSLR has zero attraction for me. I thought maybe it would until I picked one up, added a lens, felt the weight, heft and bulk, and my voice shouted inside said a big "no thank you."

I use a DSLR for the things that it does well. I don't however think that this appreciation necessitates any lack of appreciation for the things that an RF does well. I like them both for what they are and its pointless to suggest that one is somehow superior to the other except for different purposes. Is water color "better" than oil on canvas? I maintain that it is not, but it is very different. If I ever get rich enough to buy an M8 or something similar I'll certainly keep, and use, my film camera, too, and my DSLR.

 

[Sumo_du_Jour]

Thanks for the positive news Tony.
Great to see the camera progressing on track.

Regs,
PJQ

 

[sf]

Any specs? e.g. framelines, power supply, interface, final crop factor, ISO range, etc.?

$5000 seems stiffish for a pig in a poke, even if the poke does say "Leica" on it.

crop factor is it for me. I'll never buy any camera with a crop factor. Ever.

Perhaps by the time the full frame digital Leica camera comes out, I'll have enough cash to get one.

 

[Flinor]

That price, even though it's competitive, made this old retired guy take a deep breath and step back a bit. If I really want an M8 it would be a heck of a stretch and I'd have to sell just about everything I have now, including the R-D1. And I should probably sell the R-D1 now while there's still some value. And I use a lot of LTM lenses so where would that leave me for frame lines?

I dunno. Maybe the Panasonic L1 deserves a look. At least the shutter speed dial, aperture ring and viewfinder are in the right places and with a couple of old Zuiko primes maybe it will feel okay.

 

[Avotius]

im waiting for the ziess ikon digital offering, I got my fingers crossed that it will be full frames and a hell of a lot cheaper then the leica

 

[harmsr]

I'm with Jorge. I want CHROME!!!!!!

I really hope that Leica listens and doesn't make chrome, some sort of a la carte only option.

Ray

 

[Avotius]

besides the new m8, does anyone else think that the new price increase is a bunch of &%#$ since leicas are already so expensive?

 

[sdai]

I guess the price increase really just reflect the current value of US dollars ... your money aren't worth more than before. 😉

 

[Avotius]

I guess the price increase really just reflect the current value of US dollars ... your money aren't worth more than before. 😉

thank goodness im living in China then, where the cameras and lenses are still much cheaper. New 35 cron asph for 1600 anyone? Or maybe a new M7 for 2500?

 

[RML]

George, even 135 film is a crop of 120 film! It's just that they made lenses for that crop. Just like they're now making lenses specifically for the crop on these digi cams. 🙂

 

[Kevin]

I just spent 400 dollars not including processing for six weeks of film. Amortized to a year, that is 3500 dollars a year on film before processing. The digital M is starting to sound like a bargain to me...

I am interested to see how the ISO 400+ performs. Below 400 the DMR is fantastic, but at 400 and above it is still great, just no longer competative with Canon. The M8 will have a different sensor and a different firmware maker (Jenoptik), so it will be interesting to see how it performs at high ISO's. Granted, I shoot mostly at ISO 100, but it is nice to have a superb 800 or 1600 when you need it.

Include into the calculation the following hidden costs for digital:

Price of PC system and all required software
Time spent catagorizing, archiving and processing digital images
Rapid depreciation of camera
[more unknown hidden costs]

 

[fgianni]

$5K?

No thanks, my RD-1 is good enough, and now you can get an RD1s for about $2k.

I am going to wait for a full fram RF before upgrading my RD-1