Leica news

[toke]

Don't know if this is news, but................
The Future of Leica - - PopPhotoMay 2008

[Daniel Ortego]

Well, it’s been circulated elsewhere although it’s still fairly current.
Regards,

[jklotz]

the one question I have after reading is:

"Incidentally we will show something else significant for the M system at Photokina, not just lenses."

What will that be?

[okram]

ThumbsUp

[offshore]

Originally Posted by jklotz

the one question I have after reading is:

"Incidentally we will show something else significant for the M system at Photokina, not just lenses."

What will that be?

Quickly becoming more than a rumor is a compact M digital similar in size to the CL/CLE bodies with frame lines to match up with the new line of Summarits. It was supposed to sell for under $3K but the weakened dollar will probably bring it in much higher. This rumor/reality has been posted here many times and is really not new news. A rumor (heavy on rumor) is a new lens to replace the recently discontinued Noctilux, possibly an 0.95 but that has big odds against it at this point. Since Leica reps are under threat of immediate termination from disclosure of new products before they are officially announced it is hard to tell fact from fiction. There was also a heavy rumor regarding an R10 but that has died down of late and if I were a betting man I'd put my money on the CL/CLE sized M at this point. Then again I'm not a betting man but I would like to see this happen and would buy one if it is in the under $4K range.

[RobertW]

I'll play.

I "hear" we're talking faster lens: 50mm, 24mm & 21mm.

Of course seeing is believing and we'll all have to wait and see, unless you have a reliable pipeline of inside information (a.k.a. gossip)! .

Rob

[Jfelder2@nyc.rr.com]

I love my M8, have been happily using it since November 2006. But there is obviously room for improvement, especially in the ISO performance. Mr. Kaufmann's rap in this interview suggesting having sensors perform better at higher ISO as somehow software trickery against the spirit of true Leica photography is ridiculous. Either he is a reactionary out of touch with what photographers have always wanted (to capture what they see) or he is an apologist trying to put a good spin on an imperfect situation (they don't have better sensors in the immediate future). By his reasoning, one could also dismiss high iso film with better grain as being "film massaging." Preposterous. The whole reason those faster lens were made were that goal of getting better images at lower light by any technical means - software or hardware. Barnack would have turned up his nose at sensor technology? I think not.

That being said, I like Kaufmann. I get the feeling he is trying his best to make the company and the product as good as possible and keep it in the spirit of the Leica history. I think the management should swallow their pride and partner with Nikon (like they did with Panasonic for compacts) and put a cutting-edge sensor in a Leica. The build quality on the chassis and lenses will always be Leica, the price-point will always mean it's not competition for Nikon or whomever they deal with. As far as I'm concerned, the sensor is like film, put whatever brand you can in there as long as it's the best.

Snapshot Artifact

[Bernd Banken]

Sorry,

Nikon gets its sensors from Sony. Matsushita (Pana) and Sony are not the best friends, despite some golf club contacts of their top management

Bernd

[offshore]

Originally Posted by RobertW

I'll play.

I "hear" we're talking faster lens: 50mm, 24mm & 21mm.

Of course seeing is believing and we'll all have to wait and see, unless you have a reliable pipeline of inside information (a.k.a. gossip)! .

Rob

It's kind of like waiting for David Lynch to come out with a new movie. You know it will be different, you just don't know how much.

[stunsworth]

Originally Posted by Jfelder2@nyc.rr.com

Mr. Kaufmann's rap in this interview suggesting having sensors perform better at higher ISO as somehow software trickery against the spirit of true Leica photography is ridiculous.

What I think he was refering to was that some cameras get very good high ISO performance by using agressive in camera noise reduction that results in loss of definition.

[Saloti]

Originally Posted by RobertW

I'll play.

I "hear" we're talking faster lens: 50mm, 24mm & 21mm.

Of course seeing is believing and we'll all have to wait and see, unless you have a reliable pipeline of inside information (a.k.a. gossip)! .

Rob

sorry for this silly question: what are "fast lenses" ?

[pjsokal]

Lenses with a large maximum aperture like f 1.4 compared to 2.8 or 3.5.

Paul

[jimmy pro]

Originally Posted by offshore

Quickly becoming more than a rumor is a compact M digital similar in size to the CL/CLE bodies with frame lines to match up with the new line of Summarits.

Right. If you define "more than a rumor" as wild, wreckless speculation

[umanalc]

Hi to all. Hoping to don't be infringing any rules of this forum, I feel that I MUST to notice you, better if in this "Leica News" thread, this new item, just surfaced in the camera field !

(click) - M

I will come back to this thread soon, in order to read your possible comments, and suggestions !

Ciao from a rainy Italy, Luigi

(click) - M

[Saloti]

Originally Posted by pjsokal

Lenses with a large maximum aperture like f 1.4 compared to 2.8 or 3.5.

Paul

thanks!

[offshore]

Originally Posted by jimmy pro

Right. If you define "more than a rumor" as wild, wreckless speculation

Uh, jimmy da pro dat would be "reckless" which has a different meaning than "wreckless" which according to my driving record I have been for several years now.

[jimmy pro]

So then smartass, where's your proof that a Digital CL is "more than a rumor"?

[luigi bertolotti]

When a Company doesn't really make any positive anticipation and avoids insider news(like Leica is doing now) the difference with "rumor" and "more than a rumor" isn't significant... fact is that
1) Many users would appreciate a compact "Digital CL"
2) A "Digital CL" with Summarit lens line at its center (with a new RF system ?) would be a logical development for Leica

So many people speak and speculate of it, so becoming "more than a rumor".

[veraikon]

sorry for this silly question: what are "fast lenses" ?
__________________
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Ciao, Lothar

sorry Lothar for this bad joke :
Tempo Linsen - Ostprodukte Versand der DDR

To the new products rumors drawn from different Kaufmann interviews (popphoto, Handelsblatt, LFI…). I suggest that we will see at next Photokina (fotochina) in late September 08
_ some new fast[er] lenses in the wide / sw range for the M8, perhaps a 28mm Summarit.
_ a functionable model of the “R10” DSLR with autofocus and a set of new AF lenses. (at the market early 2009)
_ a design study for the Leica CLdigital . It won´t be on market before end of 2009. (Price range about 2000 €)

These listed novelties would be a great achievement for the R&D department of Leica, which is compared to the Japanese competitors (and even Cosina-Voigtländer) a very tiny manufactory.
Personally I believe that a digital Leica CLd is in the priority list (see Kaufmann Interview LFI) but not on market before end of 2009.

I'm not a betting man but I would like to see this happen and would buy one if it is in the under $4K range.

Me too, I am not a potential M8/M9 buyer, but a Leica CLd at the announced 2000€ range would be affordable for me

[lct]

Originally Posted by veraikon

...perhaps a 28mm Summarit...

Why so? With two 28 yet (Summicron & Elmarit asph), there is no room for anything else but a Summilux IMHO.