photokina - Your Questions To Leica

[admin]

photokina - Your Questions To Leica

Next month in Cologne the photokina will take place - again a great opportunity to get in contact with Leica and other manufacturers.

Together with Leica I'll organize a meeting (most probably on Saturday) with forum members and some Leica product managers to give you the chance to talk to Leica directly.

So - what are your questions to Leica?
For example regarding ...
- Current products, new gear and future developments
- Strategy and market estimations
- Technology, design and usability
- Marketing and communication

We'll sum up the results and present them here in the forum!

[spylaw4]

I'll miss that if it's on the Saturday, as I'm going on the Thursday.

[wildlightphoto]

Originally Posted by admin

So - what are your questions to Leica?

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

[bocaburger]

The LHSA annual meeting this year is in Wetzlar and they're having a side trip to Photokina on Saturday Sept. 25, so maybe if you get in touch with them you'll can arrange a combined meeting for those interested. I'll be in Koln that day with the group, but doing the optional tour of the city rather than go to Photokina. These days pretty much any new Leica product is priced higher than my personal sense of economic value will allow me to consider, so I'd rather spend my day taking pictures with what I already own. But if there's a lunch or something, would be great to meet some faces.

[adan]

1) Would Leica please take a look at the programmed corrections for the 21 Elmarit f/2.8 non-ASPH lens in the M9?

It appears that it needs adjustments - similar to those done for the current 21/24/28 wide-angles in the first firmware upgrade - in that the M9 still seems to overcorrect for vignetting with this lens, leading to red-edge problems (and overcorrected vignetting ).

2) Does the M9 perform any high-ISO (NOT long-exposure) noise-reduction processing of images? If so, is it possible to add a menu option so that users can turn off this noise-reduction when desired?

3) What is Leica's target regarding service and maintenance turnaround times? Do they consider the current service situation to be normal and acceptable? Do they have a plan in place to reduce maximum service time to under 4 weeks? Under 2 weeks?

4) Given the end of the R system, has Leica given any consideration to other ways of leveraging the M9's 24 x 36 sensor for use with longer lenses - specifically, reviving the Visoflex concept (hey, I'm just asking!) with a few dedicated lenses (180, 280, 400, macro 65-100)?

5) Any chance of an M9 variant with: a) fewer, larger, pixels and higher ISO range? and/or b) a continuous frame rate increase to 4 fps?

[imagist]

Will you please provide a supply of DMR batteries in support of that fine piece of Leica equipment?

[veraikon]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

+1

[krabat]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

I think this is one of the most important questions to many Leica fans.

The second important one (though #1 for me ): Will there be a further development of the Digilux 2, i.e. a camera that really deserves to be named a successor?

[gvaliquette]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

+2

[overgaardcom]

I would like to go there for the social gathering and to see what Leica are up to. My biggest concern is actually if there is a sort of cafe on the Leica booth with good espresso.

You may take this as an expression for how little concern I actually have if Leica will turn out new exiting products. They will eventually, but currently there is plenty to use. Hence the espresso is more important.

PS
I don't think the DMR battery will be introduced at Photokina. They have said it will come, and it will, but it's hardly a new product release.

[daveleo]

Originally Posted by krabat

. . . . .Will there be a further development of the Digilux 2, i.e. a camera that really deserves to be named a successor?

an extremely great question !

[marknorton]

The Leica M Viewfinder/Rangefinder design is more than 50 years old.

Lenses wider than 28mm (some would say 35mm) require an auxiliary finder. Lenses longer than 50mm (and the fastest 50mm lenses too) benefit from a viewfinder magnifier. The majority of Leica M lenses are not supported by the M camera "out of the box". Further, there's no built-in diopter correction and the eyepiece diameter is smaller than, for example, the Nikon D3/D3s/D3x which provide much better eye-comfort.

Is the existing viewfinder/rangefinder all we are ever going to get from Leica? With new design techniques and materials unavailable 50 years ago, why hasn't Leica addressed some of the limitations of the existing finder?

[rvalarcher]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

+3

[sarav]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

+4

[menos | M6]

1) Will I be able, to order a fully clean top decked, no "M9", no Leica logo, black paint M9 with a x0.85 viewfinder soon?

2) When can I have a firmware upgrade for above camera, that allows for native (in camera pushed) ISO 6400 metering and capture?

3) Will there ever be a AA filter less monochrome sensor only digital Leica M?

4) Will there be a DNG only capture (much faster processing in camera) with BW image and histogram preview?

5) Will the next Leica M have professional grade weather sealing (talking Nikon D3 level)?

[atournas]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

+5

[Jaybob]

Originally Posted by menos | M6

1) Will I be able, to order a fully clean top decked, no "M9", no Leica logo, black paint M9 with a x0.85 viewfinder soon?

2) When can I have a firmware upgrade for above camera, that allows for native (in camera pushed) ISO 6400 metering and capture?

3) Will there ever be a AA filter less monochrome sensor only digital Leica M?

4) Will there be a DNG only capture (much faster processing in camera) with BW image and histogram preview?

5) Will the next Leica M have professional grade weather sealing (talking Nikon D3 level)?

As someone who uses M cameras strictly for film, and D3 strictly for digital, I'd invest in the M9/M9.2/or M10 as soon as available, IF ONLY # 2 was accomplished. Even if it were only half way to Nikon D3 level it would be acceptable, shooting available light at 3200-4000 using f2 lenses is my target. Is un-chunky, sort of noise-less, image quality even going to be attainable at that target using CCD? What are the real world limitations of that technology? Is a less noisy, 15 to 22 MP CMOS, AA or no AA glass, something that is a possiblilty in an M9.2 or M10?

a-la-carte digital M's are an idea who's time is approaching, but I'm not sure it's here yet. I personally would love the same version as Menos mentioned, but in regular chrome, OR Black Chrome, with that same viewfinder.

ALL of these are outstanding ideas that would make the the digital M much better, although I'm not sure a monochrome only camera makes sense. It's just too easy to use the BW conversion tools afterwards.

[leicanut2]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

+6

[mooky]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

I might be a bit off on the dates, but, won't we know by then what the new products are (hopefully the R solution and whatever else?) or is this meeting taking place before the Photokina doors open?

Anything I want to know evolves around R lens compatibility with new products, R solution, etc.... and whether that solution would have it's own AF lens line-up.

[imported_felix]

Originally Posted by wildlightphoto

What's the digital solution for R lenses?

+7