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leicar7 · 10/30/06, 02:38 PM

As John Francis pointed out in another thread, the best selling R lenses are the wide zoom and the 28-90 mid-range zoom, both variable aperture lenses which cover what are still the most used focal lengths for most photographers most of the time. There are also 2 f/4 zooms and one f/2.8 remaining in the lineup.

As for primes, there are two categories: the up-to-date ones and the few older ones. The up-to-dates include the 15, 19, 28, 50/1.4, 90/2, 100, the 180s, 280/4, and the modulars. The older set is the 35s, the 50/2, 60, and the 80.

IMHO, right now is crunch time for the R: the line is experiencing a fundamental transition in its cameras and its lens line. The R camera is on the way to an all digital R10, if the rumors have it right. As for zooms, there is only one f/2.8 constant aperture lens. The others are difficult to focus in dim light. The primes are increasingly spotty in their existence, with several important focal lengths missing, while those remaining no longer compete with their M counterparts in imaging capability. The modulars are a case unto themselves as far as sales go - probably pathetic.

Where do R users want Leica to take the R lens line from here? Still fewer fast primes, rendering the reflex camera line even less versatile in all lighting conditions? (I doubt that the 35s and 80 will be that much longer in the lineup, because I doubt anyone buys new ones now.) More zooms? Do we want a dominantly zoom system with the modulars? That's where we are headed now: a linup that look like this - 15, 19, zooms, modular teles with a few primes, maybe only the macros to survive.

What do we want the R lens line to become?

10/30/06, 02:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
leicar7 Benutzer Join Date: 09/25/02 Posts: 89	What Do We Want From the R Lens Line As John Francis pointed out in another thread, the best selling R lenses are the wide zoom and the 28-90 mid-range zoom, both variable aperture lenses which cover what are still the most used focal lengths for most photographers most of the time. There are also 2 f/4 zooms and one f/2.8 remaining in the lineup. As for primes, there are two categories: the up-to-date ones and the few older ones. The up-to-dates include the 15, 19, 28, 50/1.4, 90/2, 100, the 180s, 280/4, and the modulars. The older set is the 35s, the 50/2, 60, and the 80. IMHO, right now is crunch time for the R: the line is experiencing a fundamental transition in its cameras and its lens line. The R camera is on the way to an all digital R10, if the rumors have it right. As for zooms, there is only one f/2.8 constant aperture lens. The others are difficult to focus in dim light. The primes are increasingly spotty in their existence, with several important focal lengths missing, while those remaining no longer compete with their M counterparts in imaging capability. The modulars are a case unto themselves as far as sales go - probably pathetic. Where do R users want Leica to take the R lens line from here? Still fewer fast primes, rendering the reflex camera line even less versatile in all lighting conditions? (I doubt that the 35s and 80 will be that much longer in the lineup, because I doubt anyone buys new ones now.) More zooms? Do we want a dominantly zoom system with the modulars? That's where we are headed now: a linup that look like this - 15, 19, zooms, modular teles with a few primes, maybe only the macros to survive. What do we want the R lens line to become?