The Leica Predicament — 2014 Outlook and Beyond

[sleepyhead]

just received a Sony a7 today and an M-mount adapter. transferred my 50mm Sonnetar from my Leica M to it. it's still early but the M may go and close to $6000 will go back into my pocket.

with the arrival of the a7/a7r, my expensive love affair with Leica is beginning to fade.

this, I think, should worry Leica (*).

(*) not just because of me, of course, but I cannot be alone

I was going to buy a new M240, now that the Sony FF cameras have come out, I plan to buy one of those first and then see if I miss the rangefinder experience - or if I adapt.

 

[jippiejee]

I really don't get it. Why buy a Sony evf camera when for almost the same money you can get a true rangefinder through the M9 now? Optimized for Leica lenses, a true optical viewfinder. What makes everyone think that suddenly the M9 is not a good camera any longer? Especially on a rangefinder forum.

 

[agfa100]

I think what is more important about this rumor is the part about Blackstone. That's where all the cash came from to open these stores worldwide, plus the new factory. They want to see a profit today and be able to sell out for even more money in a couple of years. They normally are not interested in the Long Run, the old days of putting money in a company and staying involved for a long time are over. Just my .02 cents which cost nobody anything and that's just what it's worth.

wbill

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

As I said in another post, it always amuses me that just about EVERYONE on RFF knows how to run Leica, better than the owners. Not just everyone here, either, as witness the drivel quoted in the original post.

Yes...

... to know that about their strategic position the author would need to be on Leica's board, and therefor putting his job at risk by writing it ... or his job is actually making the whole thing up in the first place?

...and yes.

 

[Addy101]

I really don't get it. Why buy a Sony evf camera when for almost the same money you can get a true rangefinder through the M9 now? Optimized for Leica lenses, a true optical viewfinder. What makes everyone think that suddenly the M9 is not a good camera any longer? Especially on a rangefinder forum.

Where do you buy a working Leica M9 for €1500,- or even €2000 😱

 

[thompsonks]

I don't understand why replies have been so critical of the OP's effort to think about Leica's future. Many of us own thousands of dollars worth of Leica lenses. Some of us were put off by the M240 and stayed with M9. Though I don't have a 'theory of the future,' I'm interested in people's thoughts and projections about what sort of camera body I'll need in the future for optimal use of my lenses. (I'm trying out an A7 body now.)

I was lucky in selling M8s, M8Us, and one M9 when they were still worth quite a bit. I wonder about keeping Summiluxes as higher ISOs produce less noise – and make f1.4 a bokeh exercise, not a low-light necessity. With such thoughts in the back of my mind (way back, admittedly), I appreciate the OP's crystal ball exercise.

 

[sleepyhead]

I really don't get it. Why buy a Sony evf camera when for almost the same money you can get a true rangefinder through the M9 now? Optimized for Leica lenses, a true optical viewfinder. What makes everyone think that suddenly the M9 is not a good camera any longer? Especially on a rangefinder forum.

I didn't want to boast in my original post, but now that you've asked: instead of a new M240, I plan to buy a new Sony A7 and a used Leica M9. I think those two cameras will complement each other well, and back up each other if service to one of them is required, or when one gets replaced for a newer model.

I'm heavily invested in M mount lenses, so this strategy makes sense to me.

 

[thompsonks]

I've begun doing what sleepyhead is considering, and my Leica dealer thought it made pretty good sense (perhaps because he knew he couldn't sell me an M240 and was looking forward to a Sony sale?).

The M9 is my preferred camera, but the A7 with a 40 Summicron and higher ISO has become a favorite in lower light.

Beware, though, that on A7/A7r, many or most wide and normal focal length lenses smear and tint in the corners of the frame. I have only three lenses in that range – a 35, 40, and 50 – that work with no problems on the Sony, and a number of others that mess up the corners to greater or lesser degree.

 

[DerekF]

Apple is not known for a continuous support of their products. New Software runs only on the newest OS but that does not run on your 3 or 4 year old computer for example.

Lots of recent software requires the latest OS because of new features, etc., but the latest version of Mac OS X (Mavericks) can be installed on Macs dating back to as early as 2007 and you can even upgrade a 3-year-old iPhone 4 to iOS 7. I'll add to that that AppleCare increases your warranty to 3 years on computers and 2 years (?) for their iDevices. Support is one of the main things that differentiates Apple from the competition and is why their products tend to retain more of their value over the longer term.

 

[KM-25]

Leica must really dislike photographers like me, sold off all my M gear years ago and now happily go through life with a single Tri-X filled M3 and version-II 50 lux......that shares a bag with an XPan and X100S.

Not even remotely tempted by any other Leica gear.

 

[mervynyan]

MM is the only Leica I wish to get next.

 

[Pioneer]

I am relatively certain that Leica is thinking about their future. Over the history of the Leica camera they have made a few missed steps, but they are still in business, and last I noticed, still making a profit.

In my humble opinion the M was a step forward for the Leica M cameras. I am not in the market for one but it has incorporated some great features that helped move the brand along. I suspect that the next M (whatever model # that one is) will also move it along a little further. Never as far as it could have gone for some, and probably too far for others.

 

[thegman]

Apple is not known for a continuous support of their products. New Software runs only on the newest OS but that does not run on your 3 or 4 year old computer for example.

I'd say that is one thing they *are* justifiably known for. Apple has probably the best history of any smartphone and tablet maker for supporting older devices. As a desktop maker it's harder to judge as they are pretty much the only company left that makes th whole stack.

I can't think of any 4 year old Mac which cannot run the newest version of the OS. Maybe I've missed one though, the model names (or lack of) makes it tricky.

 

[bwcolor]

I don't think that Leica is competing with Sony, or even Fuji at this point, but I could be wrong about Fuji. I wonder if their clientele aren't older and soon to be colder. This alone would encourage them to change their strategy.

 

[Godfrey]

Apple is not known for a continuous support of their products. New Software runs only on the newest OS but that does not run on your 3 or 4 year old computer for example.

Funny statement. OS X Mavericks is running very nicely on my 2008 MacBook Pro 13". That's an, uh, six year old computer running 2013 latest OS software and applications ...

G

 

[Roger Hicks]

Leica must really dislike photographers like me, sold off all my M gear years ago and now happily go through life with a single Tri-X filled M3 and version-II 50 lux......that shares a bag with an XPan and X100S.

Not even remotely tempted by any other Leica gear.

Why should they dislike you?

They won't care much about your views on new Leicas, but they'll be happy that you like old ones.

This is something that a lot of users of old Leicas fail to understand (not you; a general observation). Why would anyone who is selling new products care very much about people who are never going to buy those products? Apart from general, vague goodwill?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Pioneer]

Leica must really dislike photographers like me, sold off all my M gear years ago and now happily go through life with a single Tri-X filled M3 and version-II 50 lux......that shares a bag with an XPan and X100S.

Not even remotely tempted by any other Leica gear.

I would think that they would like you quite a bit, if they actually thought about it. You are a great ambassador for Leica. Not many camera companies can point to people who are still regularly using their 50+ year old camera equipment today.

 

[Landberg]

I like Leica because of the build quality and the optic viewfinder. If they keep that they can change what ever they want. It is just a camera after all.

 

[thegman]

Nonetheless I still think that Apple is a bad role model for Leica and I don't want a "designed by Leica, made by Foxconn" sticker on the back of my camera.

Could not agree more.

 

[DougFord]

Dr. A Kaufmann is a FB pal of mine and he recently wrote: "If I could decide, I would only produce analog M leicas, but I am afraid that our family would fire me in a year"... he certainly has a sense of humor, as well as some business know how.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40146285@N08/11288290494/in/pool-l_s_f

Apparently he's a romantic, well at least up to the point where money enters the picture.
The trend at leica is away from the RF assembly. The current M offers live-view and a Japanese designed EVF as an alternative. The vario X and their next rumored high-end product are both RF-less.
Speculation on Leica's future or for that matter any camera company is just good, clean, internet fun.

I wonder what the development costs to tune the microlens array on the existing Sony A7 or A7r for the specific task of mounting M glass would be? Sell it with a smart adapter. Call it the A7m.