[overgaardcom]

Oh dear, slightly off topic we went!

The 'revolutionary' element in the iPhone was not the (lack of 3G) but the package and the way you use it. Well, unlike many other Apple products the iPhone was not available for sale world wide, so that was an exception (though 8,000 uses iPhone in Denmark and 10,000 in Norway, even it hasn't been released there yet).

Much of what Apple does is not inventing new stuff but combining existing technologies they copied, bought or redesigned.

Interface and usability is the key, as well as the business model of course (as in iTunes and in the way they get percentages from mobile companies with the iPhones).


In short, and on the topic, I know guys who are waiting to see whether the M8 will be full-frame or not before they get one. So they try to skip the first generation. All because it was pre-announced that it might be.

In a digital age, my philosophy is that you go with what is available now, not in 8-12 months. Few digital cameras will have a life span further than 2-4 years anyways. Which means brand loyalty is as short as that. While waiting for the next M8 you might discover Sony and then that's a M8 sale that is not going to happen.

Look how Nikon get pro Canon shooters even it is more than likely Canon will get in front again, shortly. Because Nikon can deliver right now.

One could argue that for the R10 (which some of us hope will be a SL10) it wouldn't hurt the nonexistent sale of R gear to pre-announce.

Given the speed of development in digital I don't think even Leica knows exactly what will be in the package.

The most convincing part of both the M8 and the DMR has been the picture quality. All pre-announcements on the market goes on sensor sizes, pixel count, frames per second, stabilization, etc.

Few or none are on the subjects that really mattes: The picture quality and how much fun it is to use the gear.

The two qualities Leica has always been known for and which is what made the D2 a classic. Which is why I think developing with beta-testers and then release it when it's ready is the way to go.

And sell it the day after (I really would hope so).