"Vintage B&W" Shock

[jaapv]

you don't 'actually' believe marketing hype do you 🙁

Marketing machines have taken advantage of (because thats what there meant to do) past perceptions and made use of it, bundled it up into a ad campaign, so rich people sitting around at sundays brunch can take snap shots and say they are using a photographic purists camera and feel good about it, the money they have spent and say they are photographers ...

as insulting as all that may sound to someone that is an avid 'M Fan', its not to be taken as insulting, its just the way it is, a niche market is sitting there ready to tap, leica have them on the hook (or at least baited the hook)..the added snap shot and vintage modes are so it can be used easily by more people ..i would expect this to be a continuing trend...sooner or later it will smile detection mode as well 🙂....its a dream to have a manual only digital camera...

Well, one just has to look at the company's history and current product line, and more importantly talk to the people designing and building the gear to separate hype from fact... Strange as it may seem to some, these traditional places still exist in this ugly world

 

[Richard Marks]

Well, one just has to look at the company's history and current product line, and more importantly talk to the people designing and building the gear to separate hype from fact... Strange as it may seem to some, these traditional places still exist in this ugly world

Dear JAAP

I am not sure that your recollection of this company's history matches mine.
Are we talking about the company who denied that a digital Rf was possible and then suddenly had to rush into the M8 project after the launch of the RD1? Launched the M8 and did not bother to tell us about the IR filter issue? Or the company who unceremoniously dumped the very excellent R system to develop a completely un needed S2 system in a format with which Leica have no previous experience.

Regards

Richard

 

[downstairs]

...and vintage modes are so it can be used easily by more people ...

More like daft than easy.
Sorry to have started such a fuss. It's only firmware after all.

 

[Richard Marks]

More like daft than easy.
Sorry to have started such a fuss. It's only firmware after all.

It is only firmware after all and this is actually what a large number of fellow posters have been trying to tell you! Ironically this mode only appeared because you were using JPEGS. Perhaps it is just Leicas little joke for those who buy a £5000 camera to shoot JPEGS! 🙂

Enjoy your M9 (RAW)

Best wishes

Richard

 

[jaapv]

Dear JAAP

I am not sure that your recollection of this company's history matches mine.
Are we talking about the company who denied that a digital Rf was possible and then suddenly had to rush into the M8 project after the launch of the RD1? Launched the M8 and did not bother to tell us about the IR filter issue? Or the company who unceremoniously dumped the very excellent R system to develop a completely un needed S2 system in a format with which Leica have no previous experience.

Regards

Richard

Dear Richard, I think we are talking about different aspects here. I was talking about the general design philosophy, you are touching on some practical marketing decisions that show a varying degree of ..unfortunate miscommunication, let's call it that charitably😉.

 

[Richard Marks]

Dear Richard, I think we are talking about different aspects here. I was talking about the general design philosophy, you are touching on some practical marketing decisions that show a varying degree of ..unfortunate miscommunication, let's call it that charitably😉.

Dear JAAP

You are referring to the company as a whole and it is indeed most charitable of you to separate off the good design philosophy aspects on a platform of virtue from the rest of the company's less favourable attributes. This is no less a part of the company's history. The buyer has to deal with the company as a whole aesthetics and marketing and after sales service together. Brilliant optics are flawed by arrogant and dismissive customer service in my opinion.

Best wishes

Richard

 

[jaapv]

As you know, Richard, my experience of CS is diametrically the opposite and I am glad to report that I see more and more positive posts on the subject on LUF and less and less negative ones. As it should be - it did the company no good, I agree.

 

[Richard Marks]

As you know, Richard, my experience of CS is diametrically the opposite and I am glad to report that I see more and more positive posts on the subject on LUF and less and less negative ones. As it should be - it did the company no good, I agree.

I think Leica UK is a bit of a sticking point and I am prepared to belive things are easier in the mainland of Europe.

Your M9 has already been back for adjustments with a wonderful 5 day turn around. In the UK cameras are not shipped until there is a batch ready. This gives around 6 to 8 weeks turn around. Also lenses and bodies go separately so my 75 lux and M8 did not actually meet each other in Germany for adjustments and came back in separate deliveries. I can not imagine that you would be happy with this.

Olsen has previosuly pointed out that the UK is actually fading into political and economic obscurity and that it is therefore not reasonable for me to expect servicing in the UK. Even if this is the case I am not likely to spend £5k without it!

All the best for 2010

Richard

 

[mikemyers]

I shall have to go out and get electricians tape to hide my shame.
The M9 on-camera post-processing thing has a "Vintage B&W" setting. Why not HDR while they were at it? ...

Having read about HDR a couple of years back, and then gotten involved in it with my Nikon DSLRs, what's wrong with having the capability of HDR? Nikon doesn't call it that, but they do provide bracketing for 3, 5, 7, or 9 images, and a high-speed burst mode that makes HDR photography quite simple.

Personally, I want to do both HDR and infrared photography with my cameras, and IR was durn near impossible on my Nikons - but very easy on the M8 cameras. HDR on the other hand is very difficult on the M8, and not that much easier on the M9.

Maybe purists don't consider HDR to be "photography". Maybe some day we'll have a digital sensor with that kind of dynamic range built in, but until that happens, there is no substiture.

(Over and beyond my own likes and dislikes, some people who have me photograph their buildings now insist on the HDR effect, so even if I agreed with those of you who might find it "tacky", I'm now obligated to do it, or they'll get those photos from someone else.....)

It wouldn't be that difficult for Leica to include the feature - if the film buffer was enough for five quickly snapped shots, all they would need to do is the bracketing. Ideally though, I'd like to capture 7 or 9 shots, quickly, with whatever amount of bracketing I select.

 

[downstairs]

Mike, have a look at the thread "photo software / what do you think of HDR". IM-not so- HO this stuff is better done outside the camera like it used to be done in the darkroom. Though a wide range sensor would be a revolution.

 

[Ronald M]

I predict the M9.2 will have portrait mode, scene mode, and a close up mode. I will then consider it the equal of my Canon A610.

 

[downstairs]

I predict the M9.2 will have portrait mode, scene mode, and a close up mode. I will then consider it the equal of my Canon A610.

That was the M8.2

 

[mikemyers]

Mike, have a look at the thread "photo software / what do you think of HDR". IM-not so- HO this stuff is better done outside the camera like it used to be done in the darkroom. Though a wide range sensor would be a revolution.

I'll try to find the discussion you mentioned. Thanks for the info!

I've got no problems with doing all this stuff outside the camera, but first I need the camera to be able to take the images I'll be using. The better Nikon DSLRs make this easy. The M8 makes it quite difficult. I think the M9 would simplify things.

I'm sure I'll get it figured out eventually - there's probably a way to get close to what I'm after - burst mode (7 or 9 shots) with bracketing.

An HDR sensor would be best of all, but that's probably many years off.