Thoughts on the future of the MP ?

How can Leica--or any other company for that matter--guarantee parts availability for years afterwards (how many is it? Can't remember).
Seems a little too good to be true.
 
35mmdelux said:
Well it is hard to believe in the sense that the basis of the company -- the glass -- will be left with no platform. And, the M8 isn’t anything to write home about. By shutting down the MP the company will virtually self-implode.
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The M8/9 will continue to be improved upon. Like it or not, digital is here to stay and film is on its way out. If Leica is depending on film M cameras to keep them going, they are doomed for sure.

The thinking is to keep the MP as an a-la-carte camera. When I asked, "will the M7 remain in the a-la-carte program once the official announcement is made?" The answer came back - "I don't know..."

Keep in mind too, that the S2 was announced as Leica’s new flagship camera. The Leica M might actually be discontinued – again.
 
35mmdelux said:
Well it is hard to believe in the sense that the basis of the company -- the glass -- will be left with no platform. And, the M8 isnt anything to write home about. By shutting down the MP the company will virually self-implode.
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That's interesting ... the thought of a company producing lenses for a platform it no longer supports with any substance! If they were to do this they'd virtually be handing the batton to Zeiss and Cosina to maintain a future supply of new M mount film bodies for their uber expensive glass.

I would love to know what Mr Kaufmman is really thinking some times!
 
The idea of Leica only producing a digital rf is utterly baffling to me. With the price of digital M's what they are, they're shirley going down what I think is the wrong path if they deep six film cameras. I'm not a film evangelist but still...
 
Doesn't ring true to me - it'll be just as easy to keep both models in the product line indefinitely and no need to let one go. I would expect them to produce batches from time to time, then run down the inventory then produce some more when the demand is there. No reason to discontinue the M7 at all.
 
People..seriously, in this economy and at a B&H sticker price of $4,395, just how many new MP's are actually selling? They are starting to go for 2 grand on the used market.

Like it or not, things *are* going to get real tough for Leica...
 
There was a similar thread on the Leica Forum about this in late November. One of the contributor's said, "When we visited Solms this summer, so not that long ago, we were told that both the M7 and the MP are still in production. We were also told that MP sales outnumber M7 sales by quite a bit. An interesting comment from a Leica official was that sales of the M8 had surprisingly boosted sales of the M7 and MP, and that Leica was quite satisfied with MP sales."

Full thread here:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/70489-last-film-leica-m7-mp.html
 
KM-25 said:
People..seriously, in this economy and at a B&H sticker price of $4,395, just how many new MP's are actually selling? They are starting to go for 2 grand on the used market.

Like it or not, things *are* going to get real tough for Leica...
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I was curious to see how much the MP sells for in the land of OZ. A google search revealed $5800 AUD! 😱

The same seller has the M8 listed for $5500.00 ... which is absurd when you think what it actually takes by comparison to create the digital M with all those electronics shoe horned into an innapropriate platform designed at least fifty years ago.

What is the MP after all? Being realistic it's possibly what may turn out to be the last upgrade of the fifty five year old M3. If the S2 doesn't succeed with the M8.2/M9 only ever having a niche market, (not enough dentists in the world) you really have to suspect that Leica have nowhere to go!
 
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Let me clarify something - the information first I posted on this thread I can assure you as being "true and accurate" relates to the M7 - not the MP. "It is only a matter of time until Leica stops producing the MP as well" are my words and my supposition.

As to the platform - Leica seems fully committed to the M line as indicated by the new lenses recently announced. However, it seems pretty clear that Leica's sites for the future are centered on the digital age (as well they should be).

If Leica's survival is dependent upon the sale of film cameras, then they will fail. If the survival of the M system is dependent upon the sale of film M cameras, then the line will fail (again). I don’t see how anyone can rationally dispute this.

Having said that, a token film M camera (the MP) in the line is certainly within the realm of possibility. But IMHO, it will most likely be made-to-order (a-la-carte).
 
As much as Leica appear to lack a strategy at times that will see them succeed in the future ... I for one hope they do!

It took balls to create the M8 in the current starburst of digital technology that really doesn't have a lot of space for a digital rangefinder to thrive. It also takes balls to persue a design when all is not going well ... and lets face it there have been problems that fans of the concept have had to get their heads around to make the camera work for them.

2009 may just be their make or break year!
 
i'm adept at stating the obvious, so:

if film use resurges, and shooters buy new leicas to shoot resurgent film, then leica will make and sell more film M bodies. if not, the number of M bodies leica will make and sell will surely dwindle. if bill's contact is correct, the latter appears to be the case.

no one else has the chutzpah to market USD 3,000+ 35mm film cameras now. not nikon, canon, zeiss, cosina. why would that be? my feeling is ... the makers don't see any earnings potential in that portion of the market.

let's hope for a reasonably decent supply of technicians and parts to support our habit of burning film in the leicas that are still in use ... niche practitioners that we are. lotta love needs to go out to our repair people and film supply houses, no doubt.
 
As I recall, when Leica introduced the MP, they did so with the promise of parts availability for the next 50 years.

Then again, this is also the same company that promised a "perpetual upgrade path to the latest technology" for the M8. Somehow though, I believe that as long as Leica is in business they'll be more in keeping to their word about supporting parts for the MP.


-J.
 
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