New statement by Leica on the M8

[johnastovall]

As Alice cried, “Curiouser and curiouser!”

New statement by Leica on the M8

"'Already, in the working hours since the departure of Steven Lee, the Leica product development team has begun to review the M system strategy. It is too early to say what changes will be made. However, it is likely that the path may differ from the one set by Steven Lee. In any case, the M8 will continue to be our flagship camera into 2009. We can confirm that comments made during PMA regarding the possibility of an M8 upgrade to full frame were premature and we apologise if one of them gave a too optimistic outlook.

It is true that it is the desire of Leica to consider full frame within the M system. However, the final decision regarding the appropriate camera body configuration has yet to be made.'

[jaapv]

It sounds like a struggle between marketing and R&D, with the press used to apply pressure on the R&D department, which was not appreciated by Mr. Kaufmann.

[stunsworth]

No great surprise, they're just making sure they're not necessarily tied to the M8 body shell if they do manage a full frame camera.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by stunsworth

No great surprise, they're just making sure they're not necessarily tied to the M8 body shell if they do manage a full frame camera.

I hope the R&D group has a couple of Konica Hexar RF's and Contax G autofocus on the table for inspiration and not just Leicas. Put a couple of RD-1's there to...

[stunsworth]

Funny you should say that, I'm about to put my RF on eBay, and before I did I thought I'd better make sure the shutter works. It does, but my it's loud. Makes the M8 sound like a whisper <grin>.

My RF has had its problems. The rangefinder is way, way out of whack and one of the prongs on the rewind spindle has snapped off making it impossible for the camera to rewind a film. I'll be selling it for spares or repair.

The rangefinder problem is my fault, trying to correct a vertical alignment problem that the camera had from when I bought it, the prong snapped off a couple of years ago.

I've never used a G2, but reports seem to indicate that the viewfinder was poor, and that the autofocus was a bit hit and miss at times.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by stunsworth

Funny you should say that, I'm about to put my RF on eBay, and before I did I thought I'd better make sure the shutter works. It does, but my it's loud. Makes the M8 sound like a whisper <grin>.

My RF has had its problems. The rangefinder is way, way out of whack and one of the prongs on the rewind spindle has snapped off making it impossible for the camera to rewind a film. I'll be selling it for spares or repair.

The rangefinder problem is my fault, trying to correct a vertical alignment problem that the camera had from when I bought it, the prong snapped off a couple of years ago.

I've never used a G2, but reports seem to indicate that the viewfinder was poor, and that the autofocus was a bit hit and miss at times.

The idea is not to look for prefection there but other ways of doing thing be they good or bad. What was good? Why was it good? What was bad and why? What they do and not do compared to Leica.

[rosuna]

Honest press release by Leica.

It is more reasonable than Mr. Lee comments on a future full-frame M.

It means we cannot expect a full-frame M for Photokina 2008, or an upgreadable M8 including a full-frame sensor any time soon. They are evaluating possibilities, and that is good.

Anyway, the actual M8 can see many improvements in electronics, shutter, processor, noise handling... even if the sensor is maintained.

[leicar7]

Herr Kaufmann himself talked to the possibility of a FF M9, of that actual name, being presented at Fotokina 2008 at his address to the membership at the LHSA meeting in Rochester last October. He showed a graph, the exact names of the axes of which now escapes me, but the upshot was that the M9, though to be FF, was invisioned to be somewhat below the M8 in capability (not specified) and somewhat easier to use (also not specified).

I don't know if anyone in LHSA has a video of that address, but it would be interesting to review.

[stevelap]

Originally Posted by leicar7

Herr Kaufmann himself talked to the possibility of a FF M9, of that actual name, being presented at Fotokina 2008 at his address to the membership at the LHSA meeting in Rochester last October. He showed a graph, the exact names of the axes of which now escapes me, but the upshot was that the M9, though to be FF, was invisioned to be somewhat below the M8 in capability (not specified) and somewhat easier to use (also not specified).

I don't know if anyone in LHSA has a video of that address, but it would be interesting to review.

Perhaps that hints at one possible explanation for the breakdown of the Kaufmann/Lee relationship.

If Herr Kaufmann went public on the basis that a FF M8/M9 was do-able and on track for a photokina '08 announcement and was subsequently told otherwise, he may have felt embarrassed and angry at having to backtrack on that position.

[stunsworth]

Originally Posted by stevelap

If Herr Kaufmann went public on the basis that a FF M8/M9 was do-able and on track for a photokina '08 announcement and was subsequently told otherwise, he may have felt embarrassed and angry at having to backtrack on that position.

Or he was trying to put pressure on the R&D department by publicly announcing the camera? Who knows, I certainly don't.

[stevelap]

Originally Posted by stunsworth

Or he was trying to put pressure on the R&D department by publicly announcing the camera? Who knows, I certainly don't.

Yes Steve, as you say none of us really know, and we probably won't until Kaufmann or Lee, or Leica PR, tell us themselves.

I won't hold my breath though.

Steve

[Robert Belasario]

Other posts and other sites suggest it had nothing to do with the FF announcement but with the upgrade tactic introduced by Mr. Lee and his staff.
The suggestion being that the shutter replacement is only a matter of another "not so tight" spring and a firmware adaption, which if became known would ridicule the price of the upgrade and put Leica in a bad light.
Mr. Lee had subsequesntly planned this in order to improve income and a big profit margin on this income.

I actually would like this version better for this would mean that Mr. Kaufmann holds the Leica users in a higher respect than Mr. Lee, and has accordingly acted as such.

But as said, we won't know the truth untill it comes out .....

[bill]

Originally Posted by Robert Belasario

Other posts and other sites suggest it had nothing to do with the FF announcement but with the upgrade tactic introduced by Mr. Lee and his staff.
The suggestion being that the shutter replacement is only a matter of another "not so tight" spring and a firmware adaption, which if became known would ridicule the price of the upgrade and put Leica in a bad light.
Mr. Lee had subsequesntly planned this in order to improve income and a big profit margin on this income.

I actually would like this version better for this would mean that Mr. Kaufmann holds the Leica users in a higher respect than Mr. Lee, and has accordingly acted as such.

But as said, we won't know the truth untill it comes out .....

I agree with your LAST sentence.

Regards,

Bill