so many m9s for sale...

[Out to Lunch]

My two cents: Leica needs to continue the 'less is more' philosophy in order to remain credible. If they start adding bells and whistles like the competition is doing, they'll loose their soul and niche market identity. The M9-p and Monochrome show this dilemma. Camera bodies aside, one could argue that the Leica mystique will continue through its high quality lenses.

 

[ColinJ]

My two cents: Leica needs to continue the 'less is more' philosophy in order to remain credible. If they start adding bells and whistles like the competition is doing, they'll loose their soul and niche market identity. The M9-p and Monochrome show this dilemma. Camera bodies aside, one could argue that the Leica mystique will continue through its high quality lenses.

I think there is room for both a 'less is more' M rangefinder camera and one with 'bells and whistles'. There is no reason why the same fundamental design cannot cater for both.

While there are many Leica aficionados who don't want anything that would ruin the 'less is more' experience, there are also customers who are new to Leica who would like some of the features that the other camera brands offer. So I can foresee the day when there is a 'bells and whistles' M10 with several new features including live view and video, and a 'less is more' M10P which is similar to the M9P but with the M10's sensor. Plus maybe an M10M too, if the M9M proves a success.

That way, Leica will appeal to a wider market, increase production volumes and hopefully (!) keep prices down.