Infos from the forum-meeting 2008

[berndr]

Hello,

I started this thread because it might be very interesting (especially for our international friends) to share the informations we got from leica last weekend at the forum-meeting here in germany.

I invite the participators to add their items.

Kind regards,
Bernd.

[berndr]

Here are my topics:

Mr. Daniel from Leica told us some interesting things:

R-System:
- No new R lens at photocina
- R9 still in production (on low level)
- autofocus may come (manual focus is not a dogma for leica)

We had many questions, but no concrete info about a new digital R Camera.

M-System:
- many suprises for photocina advertised
- The name Noctilux will be a part of the future M lens family and Mr. Daniel would a 0.95 lens also give the name Noctilux.
- A new fixed wideangle lens (18mm??) will come for photocina
- The prefered sensor supplier for M will be still Kodak. The reason is the special specification for the sensor and the relative low quantities.
- Tri Elmar 28-35-50 is no longer in production because a special lens no longer delivered by a supplier and no appropriate replacement avaiable.

Mr. Daniel asked us many questions about what we expected, for a compact M or CM. So they think in that direction, but in my opinion, it will not be ready for photocina.

We asked him for a new compact flash with a rotatable reflector, he was very interested.

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

D-Lux, etc.:
- There will be new models in corporation with panasonic for photocina.

Leica in general:
The employees are very happy about the fact that Mr. Lee is fired. But some important persons are gone and some project lost more then the time Mr. Lee was in the company.

At least I want to say thank you very much to Leica for there engangement and the possibility for us to ask the questions.

Kind regards,
Bernd.

(Sorry for my english!)

[andybarton]

Thanks for summarising this so well, Bernd.

My understanding of what Herr Daniel said was that he owns R-glass and is not selling it, waiting for the day when he can use it on a new R body (not on a Digilux 3/4 type body). I took encouragement from this.

However, if I have understood this incorrectly, please put me right

He also mentioned something about something coming in November?

[berndr]

Hello Andy,

I didn't hear this in Mr. Daniel words directly, but maybe your are right.

He made clear, that Leica knows that their customers made high investments in their equipment and this is and will be taken into account for the future development.

Yes, he mentioned that there migth come more in november. In my opinion they are working very hard on new developments, but not everything will be ready for photocina. Therefore a second date before chrismas is probably.

There are more informations you could read between the lines, but I tried to give you some facts and not the rumours.

Regards,
Bernd.

[jaapv]

Thanks, Bernd. You forgot to mention that the 28/50TriElmar might come back into production at some unspecified future date, given a decent supply of glass elements and sufficient production capacity, this being another major reason for discontinuation.
The Summarit line is selling "according to our expectations" but not as well as some had hoped.

A special Internet coördinator has been introduced to the participants. Leica's interest in this forum was affirmed repeatedly, and it seems Leica is considering ways to make that interest more visible.

[thrid]

Originally Posted by berndr

Four-Thirds:
- There will be no Leica labeled Olympus E-3
(Sorry for my english!)

Thank God...

[veraikon]

Thank you for reporting.
I missed in the german part any info about. And even if prefered to ask in german:
I am not familar with the Leica -staff. Who ist Mr. Daniel ?

[andybarton]

Stefan Daniel is head of the M "division" at Leica in Solms. There isn't anything he doesn't know about the M.

[veraikon]

Thank you !

[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?

[sdai]

I don't think Leica is ready for the new R, nothing will happen on the R front at the Kina '08. Good stuff for the M folks ... 50/.95 ... wow, let's start a poll, who will be the first owner?

Of course, you can give a different twist to Mr. Daniel's words, no new R lens simply means the R is dead ... the new SLR model will start with a new letter ... not R, not M.

[veraikon]

Seems to be more informative here
At the german part there was an info that a person who is responsible for the internet communication (esp. this l-forum) was introduced, Who is it ?

[jaapv]

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?

No - there was nobody from the R division there. Unsurprisingly he/she did not say anything.
Mr. Daniel, with the disclaimer that his field of expertise is the M8, could obviously not state anything definite. But from reading between the lines I am convinced that the Photokina will bring more clarity on the R10 front. I am convinced as well that there will be some kind of R solution from Leica announced. I supect one or two crucial design decisions have not yet been taken at this point of time. But it was clear that retrocompatability is written large in the book of requirements.
Just imagine the difficulties. A currently non-AF analog system must find a niche in the DSLR-jungle and be different enough to justify the unavoidable high price.
The DMR was a good try - and a marvellous tool, but that road is a dead end.

[sdai]

The real problem with the R system is that Leica came all too late to the digital party and got dumped when people switched to digital, now they're fighting a uphill battle ... it has nothing to do with AF/MF, format etc.

This forum is a touchstone to see whether Leica is really listening ... let's keep our pressure on, all R folks ... screw any format/mount changes.

[veraikon]

No - there was nobody from the R division there.

Is there a responsible person ?. According to "But some important persons are gone and some project lost more then the time Mr. Lee was in the company." it might be the person who is responsible for the R -line.

[jaapv]

No- those were in the lens division, I understand.

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by veraikon

Seems to be more informative here
At the german part there was an info that a person who is responsible for the internet communication (esp. this l-forum) was introduced, Who is it ?

Originally Posted by post 5

A special Internet coördinator has been introduced to the participants. Leica's interest in this forum was affirmed repeatedly, and it seems Leica is considering ways to make that interest more visible.

I forgot his name, but he seemed quite new at the job. It was abundantly clear that there is an intense interest with Leica concerning this forum since Mr Lee was asked to leave. Otoh, in a private conversation with a Leica heavyweight (no employee) I got the impression that there was not enough interest to tap into the expertise gathered in the core user group yet, although the beginning is there.
Looking at the group, of whom at least 70 % had a university degree, and all in or retired from responsible positions, there was hundreds of thousands of Euros worth of free consulting available just for the asking.

[andybarton]

Originally Posted by jaapv

No- those were in the lens division, I understand.

Agreed

[marknorton]

If there is a new wide-angle coming, it will be interesting to see if it's an Elmar or an Elmarit. It would make sense for it to be an f4 because it will provide a lower cost solution than the WATE. An 18mm Elmarit would surely be huge and hugely expensive.

[andybarton]

I don't believe she was.

She's too busy with her Rotring pens, screwdriver set and sticky-backed plastic to be let out of the R&D department at the moment.