Revolutionary improvements for the next M

Keith said:
Assuming that the M7 is the pinnacle of Leica's film M development ... it is the only film M with AE after all ... the following improvements would be appreciated.

Manual frame line selection.
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Doesn't it have that? I'm looking at mine and it has a preview lever...
HL
 
Doesn't the M8 have the tripod mount in the center? I was rather shocked to see that, and also rather shocked that I hadn't heard more about the change.

I like the film M's as they are, but maybe a M in a Barnack size body would be cool. I think a digital M that returned to the M3 dimensions and had a full size 30+ mpx chip would be great.
 
Harry Lime said:
Weeeellllll, even St. HCB used a flash once or twice in his life. Capa and everyone else also used a flash occasionally.
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More of ze irony wasted. Oh well 🙂

I had just written post #60 in response to #56. I have nothing aganst people using flash if they want. In fact, I have the Metz 50-something -4 Zi or whatever it's called. Makes the M ridiculously top heavy, and slightly less inconspicuous when street shooting. The flash is a bit of a giveaway. 🙂


colin
 
Harry Lime said:
Doesn't it have that? I'm looking at mine and it has a preview lever...
HL
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Sorry I should have been more specific ... I would like to be able to lock the selected frame lines in position with the lever ... without having to wedge a match head under it! 😛
 
colinh said:
1. How about a variable magnification VF ?
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Then add mid-roll-interchangeable film magazines, and you'd almost have caught up with the Kodak Ektra!
 
Like I said, just take the M8's shutter, tame the noise just a bit, and put it in the M7. Why should us Hexar shooters (and our Bessa brethren) have all the high-speed fun?

And, yeah, a film window. Never mind the foam.


- Barrett
 
How about a digital back, using a 16 MP FF sensor that you could adapt to any film M-camera by removing the back door. Now THAT would be awesome!
 
Pablito said:
I doubt very much that a variable magnification viewfinder could be as clean and bright and sharp as what Leica is putting out now. Look at the truly crappy variable-mag finders on all the point n' shoots. From what I remember even the Contax G series has a (lousy) variable-mag viewfinder. And that's not a cheap camera.
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Well, people always thought that Leica VF is the best and then came Bessa, followed by Ikon. So you never know.........
 
Some of the suggestions reflect things already availible on Hexar RF. Too bad they don't make those anymore - It would most probably leave Leica waaaay behind. HRF was sooo way ahead of well, anything RF in it's time. And in many way still is.
Too bad Leica can't (or maybe too proud to ) adapt some of Hexar's features.
Oh well, I'm glad I got one. We'll see what Leica will develop.
 
Krosya said:
Well, people always thought that Leica VF is the best and then came Bessa, followed by Ikon. So you never know.........
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It's not that the M finder is bad. The only thing I have ever seen that comes close is the ZM finder, but unlike the M, its RF patch doesn't move with the framelines and that would drive me nuts.

Personally the only real change I would be interested in seeing in the M finder is variable area of coverage. Other than that I'm happy with it.

As I mentioned earlier, I would even settle for a replica of the M2/M4 frameline mask.
 
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colinh said:
You're not alone there, but who puts a rangefinder on a tripod anyway? That's not exactly spontaneous street shooting.

colin
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I wrote this because you said you'd find a selftimer useful tp prevent camerashakes. If you shoot such shots handheld you anyway select a handheldable shutter speed so the need for a selftimer seems obsolete for me. I rarely use tripod, did it twice this year, once for a paid architectural shooting, once for the yearly fireworks of our city. In both cases I used the cable release because of the lower speeds. I used the RD1 because I dont have a DSLR.

I know Leica will never implement any suggestions regardless how useful they are, because they suffer from the NIH syndrome (Not-Invented-Here) 😉
D.
 
I think they need one traditional model, and one advanced one.

Keep the MP for the traditionalist, and the M7 and it's sucessors for future innovations, digital even.

Personally, I like all the functions and features in a M body, but would hate to see Leica end up losing it's soul trying to fight Canon and Nikon.
 
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