Infos from the forum-meeting 2008

[berndr]

Hello again,

sorry I have not written down anything at the evening. All I can say is from my memory.

Yes, there was a 'internet marketing manager' from leica too. Sorry I don't know his name. I think he came from france. He explained that there will be more intensive exchange with the l-camera-forum. He also descriped some strategie aspects about internet marketing from leica. In the near future it would be possible include back the brand name leica in the forum name.

The R-System manager was absent because she was in holidays. But the position was changed in the near passed. Mr. Daniel told us the name, but sorry I forgot.

Another interesting thing I remember was that they are thinking about a special beamer for photo projection. But not for photocina 2008. The classic slide projectors are no longer produced but still avaible. They sold about 500 in the last year in contrast to 1996 where they sold about 20000! (Please don't kill me, when I don't remember the counts exactly)

Cheers,
Bernd.

[jaapv]

And there was at least one REAL photographer there....

[sdai]

Originally Posted by berndr

The R-System manager was absent because she was in holidays. But the position was changed in the near passed. Mr. Daniel told us the name, but sorry I forgot.

I hope the change of project manager means that Leica has ditched the funky "larger than FF" idea and come back on the drawing board again.

I have more than a dozen cameras of different formats and makes and certainly will not cry if Leica doesn't bring the "R10" to the show this year.

Take your time, do it right.

[sdai]

Originally Posted by jaapv

And there was at least one REAL photographer there....

What makes a photographer REAL?

A yellow filter AND a pipe.

[marknorton]

If I had as much money invested in R lenses as I do in M lenses, I might reasonably have expected Leica to have given me some more definite pointers on product direction by now. As it is, it now looks like the R is going to be late. I just hope that when I go to Photokina, it's not a case of "a day late and a dollar short".

[rosuna]

The key question is the format, and then the corresponding price.

I have posted a link to an offer by Hasselblad. The H3D-31 and a 80mm lens for 11,995 euros, VAT included. Mamiya is offering 22MP medium format cameras for 9,000 euros (aprox). Canon sells the 1Ds Mark III for 7,000 euros (aprox), but new cameras from Nikon and Sony will push that price down this year. This is the competitive environement at this moment. When the DMR was presented only Canon's and very expensive MF systems were available. Now the competitive pressure is much higher on any DSLR system. The rangefinder M system is just "different". I agree the question is how to make a "different" R system. I think a full frame R camera with autofocus lenses won't work from an economic point of view, even if the price is correct. It is OK for current R owners, but not so good for potential new Leica customers. It never was in the film age too. Leica could have attracted new R users with a full frame camera two years ago, but not at this moment. Maybe I am wrong...

[stunsworth]

Originally Posted by sdai

What makes a photographer REAL?

A yellow filter AND a pipe.

The tripod loses him points though.

[marknorton]

But it looks like it's a wooden one, so that gives him some points back... none of this carbon fibre stuff.

[ho_co]

Nice shot, Jaap!

[VivaRiva]

Well for what its worth, I will be waiting until Photokina 2008 for the R10.

Rosuna: I might be an exception to your point, but you are right. I saw three DSLR purchases around me in the last two years. Hopefully I will make one too with a German brand.

[thomasl.se]

Originally Posted by berndr

Four-Thirds:
- There will be no Leica labeled Olympus E-3

Any new 4/3 lenses?

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by sdai

What makes a photographer REAL?

A yellow filter AND a pipe.

I love it when I see these vintage beauties (cameras I mean ) being used instead of displayed. Note: RF *and* SLR. As it should be.....

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by thomasl.se

Any new 4/3 lenses?

No info, but nobody asked.

[roguewave]

Jaap, stunning portrait.

[hoppyman]

Originally Posted by mooky

Two simple questions: Who is the person in charge of over-seeing the R program and was he/she at the meeting? Next - did they say anything?

It is a lady and my dealer that visited Solms fairly recently could not get a single word from her on any future R developments.

[thomasl.se]

Originally Posted by hoppyman

It is a lady and my dealer that visited Solms fairly recently could not get a single word from her on any future R developments.

Not as much as a nod?

[hoppyman]

Originally Posted by thomasl.se

Not as much as a nod?

Only that one fact told to me about the R world, sorry. Lots of rumours and guesses at the PMA show but that's what they are.
September will be fascinating.

[lll]

There will definetly be no new R-product at photokina. Even the future of the R-bajonet is not confirmed yet. There is a commitment to compatibilty but this can also mean something completely new and a R-adapter solution. Things are still not decided as I heard personally. Lee´s mismanagement is said to be responsible for this desolate situation.

In the M sector "I am expecting" a reasonably priced 18mm lens, a superfast 24mm and the prototype of a new Noctilux at photokina. Leica is planning a new Tri Elmar 28-35-50, but there are no prototypes yet. Maybe it is even not calculated up to now. There will be no confirmation of all these news until a press release at 15th of September prior to photokina. Leica promised to inform the L-Forum some hours earlier.

The problem with the old Tri Elmar was that Hoya seized delivering the pressed aspherical lens element and a substitute from Kyocera did not match the Leica quality requirements. There is no other company worldwide capable of making this special piece of glass, they told us. There are only a few examples built with the Kyocera-asphere. But it took too great efforts to reach the needed qualitiy. No serial numbers or production figures of this last batch are known.

Friedhelm

[marknorton]

What worries me in all of this is the loss of people. If Maike Harberts has moved on - or been moved on - and if they've lost talented lens designers to Zeiss or wherever, that represents a significant step back IMHO.

If Friedhelm is correct, we're looking at an 18mm Elmar and a 24mm Summicron? Interesting that they want to bring back a Tri-Elmar. At the time the previous one was withdrawn, Lecia said they had no plans to replace it.

I agree though, the R situation seems very confused and I would have thought introducing a new lens mount would be a pretty ambitious undertaking.

[sdai]

I'd rather having nothing than being baffled by something I don't want ... on the M front, superfast probably means a lux, a no-step zoomer to replace the current tri-elmar would be very interesting.

The 0.95 Noctilux alone will steal the show for Leica ... why would people pay 10k USD or Euro on the existing Noctilux now? second best is not good.