Welcome to the Leica Camera Forum!

daniel · 09/13/06, 09:37 PM

Dear Leica friends,

We are pleased to announce that a range of interesting new products for the Leica M System will be introduced at photokina 2006. All of you participants of the Leica Users forum are the first the hear the official news after our salesforce.

First and foremost, by many end users the long awaited rangefinder camera LEICA M8.

NEW: LEICA M8

m8.jpg

The new LEICA M8 will be available from the end of November 2006 on at a price around 4´200 Euro. The camera is complimented by two high performance lenses which can be used for digital and analogue use, as well as, additional accessories.
Product information: m8_en.pdf
Technical data: tecdat_m8_en.pdf

The camera is complimented by two high performance lenses which can be used for digital and analogue use, as well as, additional accessories.

NEW: Compact wide angle lens LEICA ELMARIT-M 1:2,8/28mm ASPH.

elmarit28.jpg

The new LEICA ELMARIT-M 28mm is standard lens for the M8 and will be available at the Leica dealers from the End of October 2006 at a price of around 1´350 Euro.
Technical data: tecdat_elmarit28_en.pdf

NEW: Super wide angle with three focal lengths LEICA TRI-ELMAR-M 1:4/16-18-21mm ASPH.

trielmar.jpg

NEW: Universal viewfinder M for focal lengths from 16 to 28mm

universalfinder.jpg

The new Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm is the ticket for very wide angle photography in Leica quality for the M system. Lens and viewfinder will be available from the end of December 2006 on for a set price of 3´500 Euro.
Technical data LEICA TRI-ELMAR-M 1:4/16-18-21mm ASPH.: tecdat_trielmar_en.pdf
Technical data Universal viewfinder M: tecdat_universalfinder_m_en.pdf

We hope that you will like the new products and invite you to the photokina fair in Cologne Germany to experience these products first-hand.

I also hope you will understand that I won´t have the time to visit the forum regularly to answer all answers that this mail may cause!

Best regards from Solms!

Stefan Daniel
Head of Product Management, Leica Camera

09/14/06, 03:07 PM

Must be Christmas....

albertwang · 09/14/06, 03:14 PM

Holy f****** s***, looks like the new 28mm is truly a Leica pancake lens... at least not since the 3rd version of the 28mm M have we gotten something which is truly compact.

Well, looks like Voigtlander out the window now... Leica pancake series anybody else up to flipping the flapjacks on Canadaleitz shebang without yawners?

uulrich · 09/14/06, 03:17 PM

Smart move... Cool. Will be the new tool in photojournalism. They hit the jackpot!

andybarton · 09/14/06, 03:27 PM

I'd say that this is a remarkable achievement.

To be so close in design to the traditional M, yet be at the cutting edge of today's digital technology... the designers in Solms must be very pleased with themselves

They should be congratulated.

humanized_form · 09/14/06, 03:31 PM

those photos are fake!

hah.

albertwang · 09/14/06, 03:32 PM

Yes, indeed. The dawn of a new era in photography.

guy_mancuso · 09/14/06, 03:48 PM

Andy completely agree. They should be very proud and this is one Historical day for them. Okay have to read all the specs.

blovitch · 09/14/06, 04:05 PM

Looks fantastic....

Can't wait to get my hands on one.

george · 09/14/06, 04:08 PM

Looks good indeed. Now looking for Sean's review.
Which IMHO he is now free to release.

albertwang · 09/14/06, 04:16 PM

Does that Sean got the M8 before all of us guys did?

imported_jtorral · 09/14/06, 04:17 PM

Seems that a lot of people on this forum were getting outright nasty regarding the photos I published 2 weeks ago and claiming they were so fake.

Are these fake as well ?

marknorton · 09/14/06, 04:31 PM

Just brilliant. They've done a great job, there is nothing at all which disappoints, not even the lack of a 21mm frame!

€4200 including German VAT makes it about £2950 in the UK including VAT and about $4500 + tax.

albertwang · 09/14/06, 04:34 PM

not bad, not bad... now bring it on. in our hands of course.

Philippe D. · 09/14/06, 04:47 PM

Well at least...

For sure the "Universal viewfinder M" is not going to win a design award!

mitchell · 09/14/06, 04:50 PM

I'm very happy and impressed.

Dimensions in millimeters:

M8: 139 x 80 x 37

M7: 138 x 79 x 37

Weight:

M8: 545 grams (without battery)

M7: 610

The one possible disappointment for me is the exposure compensation doesn't seem to be as convenient as the DMR's, but it is still a little unclear to me how it works. But, manual is always an option.

This does not look like a company going down the drain. I think the M8 may attract a lot of new customers. Can the R 10 be on the way?

Best,

Mitchell

waileong · 09/14/06, 04:51 PM

Why did they need a new pancake 28/2.8 lens? What was wrong with the old one or the current one?

markus · 09/14/06, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waileong

Why did they need a new pancake 28/2.8 lens? What was wrong with the old one or the current one?

more compact, more asph., cheaper ...

guy_mancuso · 09/14/06, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitchell

I'm very happy and impressed.

The one possible disappointment for me is the exposure compensation doesn't seem to be as convenient as the DMR's, but it is still a little unclear to me how it works. But, manual is always an option.
Best,

Mitchell

Yes this is my concern also I see it as hit SET button scroll to EV than dial in adjustment and you already lost me here, this is not going to cut it. This NEEDS to be on the fly. Hit SET and dial it in and that is it. One single button just to activate this. My only one issue.

It's not too late this CAN be done in the Firmware.

guy_mancuso · 09/14/06, 05:18 PM

Read number 3 carefully . No effect to the raw with lens coding

Leica, obviously keen to solve this problem, took a three pronged approach with the M8:

1) Don't use a full frame sensor - at this time it would be cost prohibitive and too complex to produce a sensor which can cover the entire 36x24 mm frame and still work with rangefinder lenses. For this reason the M8's sensor measures 27x18 mm (or 1.33x crop).

2) Use offset microlenses - instead of placing all microlenses directly over the photodiode they are gradually offset as you get closer to the edge of the frame (see below).

3) Know which lens is being used and apply some software correction - all new M series lenses now carry a six-bit code which allows the M8 to identify which lens is used and (optionally) apply a 'final stage' software based vignetting correction (for RAW images the lens used is simply recorded, no change is made).

09/13/06, 09:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
daniel Leica Mitarbeiter Join Date: 09/30/02 Posts: 6	LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Dear Leica friends, We are pleased to announce that a range of interesting new products for the Leica M System will be introduced at photokina 2006. All of you participants of the Leica Users forum are the first the hear the official news after our salesforce. First and foremost, by many end users the long awaited rangefinder camera LEICA M8. NEW: LEICA M8 m8.jpg The new LEICA M8 will be available from the end of November 2006 on at a price around 4´200 Euro. The camera is complimented by two high performance lenses which can be used for digital and analogue use, as well as, additional accessories. Product information: m8_en.pdf Technical data: tecdat_m8_en.pdf The camera is complimented by two high performance lenses which can be used for digital and analogue use, as well as, additional accessories. NEW: Compact wide angle lens LEICA ELMARIT-M 1:2,8/28mm ASPH. elmarit28.jpg The new LEICA ELMARIT-M 28mm is standard lens for the M8 and will be available at the Leica dealers from the End of October 2006 at a price of around 1´350 Euro. Technical data: tecdat_elmarit28_en.pdf NEW: Super wide angle with three focal lengths LEICA TRI-ELMAR-M 1:4/16-18-21mm ASPH. trielmar.jpg NEW: Universal viewfinder M for focal lengths from 16 to 28mm universalfinder.jpg The new Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm is the ticket for very wide angle photography in Leica quality for the M system. Lens and viewfinder will be available from the end of December 2006 on for a set price of 3´500 Euro. Technical data LEICA TRI-ELMAR-M 1:4/16-18-21mm ASPH.: tecdat_trielmar_en.pdf Technical data Universal viewfinder M: tecdat_universalfinder_m_en.pdf We hope that you will like the new products and invite you to the photokina fair in Cologne Germany to experience these products first-hand. I also hope you will understand that I won´t have the time to visit the forum regularly to answer all answers that this mail may cause! Best regards from Solms! Stefan Daniel Head of Product Management, Leica Camera Last edited by admin : 09/14/06 at 02:57 PM.

09/14/06, 03:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
Metroman Posts: n/a	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Must be Christmas....

09/14/06, 03:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
albertwang Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 06/28/06 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 1,500	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Holy f**** s*, looks like the new 28mm is truly a Leica pancake lens... at least not since the 3rd version of the 28mm M have we gotten something which is truly compact. Well, looks like Voigtlander out the window now... Leica pancake series anybody else up to flipping the flapjacks on Canadaleitz shebang without yawners?

09/14/06, 03:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
uulrich Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 09/05/05 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 707	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Smart move... Cool. Will be the new tool in photojournalism. They hit the jackpot! __________________ Uli Like good photography....? Just pop in at http://www.leica-camera-user.com/cus...r-website.html Last edited by uulrich : 09/14/06 at 03:24 PM.

09/14/06, 03:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
andybarton Moderator Join Date: 06/21/06 Location: Airstrip 1 - 53:17:00N 03:04:00W Posts: 7,060	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System I'd say that this is a remarkable achievement. To be so close in design to the traditional M, yet be at the cutting edge of today's digital technology... the designers in Solms must be very pleased with themselves They should be congratulated. __________________ Cheers, Andy ___________________________ 2008 Spring Collection now released

09/14/06, 03:31 PM	#6 (permalink)
humanized_form Benutzer Join Date: 12/26/04 Location: baltimore city, usa, baby! Posts: 84	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System those photos are fake! hah. Last edited by humanized_form : 09/14/06 at 03:37 PM.

09/14/06, 03:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
albertwang Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 06/28/06 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 1,500	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Yes, indeed. The dawn of a new era in photography.

09/14/06, 03:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
guy_mancuso Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 08/16/05 Location: Phoenix Posts: 8,031	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Andy completely agree. They should be very proud and this is one Historical day for them. Okay have to read all the specs. __________________ Guy Mancuso www.guymancusophoto.com Upcoming GetDPI.com Photographic Workshops "It's not always about what the client will accept but about what you want to deliver to your client."

09/14/06, 04:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
blovitch Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 02/14/06 Posts: 183	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Looks fantastic.... Can't wait to get my hands on one.

09/14/06, 04:08 PM	#10 (permalink)
george Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 09/27/02 Location: Toronto Posts: 425	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Looks good indeed. Now looking for Sean's review. Which IMHO he is now free to release. __________________ George

09/14/06, 04:16 PM	#11 (permalink)
albertwang Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 06/28/06 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 1,500	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Does that Sean got the M8 before all of us guys did?

09/14/06, 04:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
imported_jtorral Gesperrt Join Date: 01/08/04 Posts: 28	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Seems that a lot of people on this forum were getting outright nasty regarding the photos I published 2 weeks ago and claiming they were so fake. Are these fake as well ?

09/14/06, 04:31 PM	#13 (permalink)
marknorton Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 11/12/02 Posts: 5,123	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Just brilliant. They've done a great job, there is nothing at all which disappoints, not even the lack of a 21mm frame! €4200 including German VAT makes it about £2950 in the UK including VAT and about $4500 + tax. __________________ Mark

09/14/06, 04:34 PM	#14 (permalink)
albertwang Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 06/28/06 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 1,500	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System not bad, not bad... now bring it on. in our hands of course.

09/14/06, 04:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
Philippe D. Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 06/24/06 Location: Nice - Monaco Posts: 617	AW: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Well at least... For sure the "Universal viewfinder M" is not going to win a design award!

09/14/06, 04:50 PM	#16 (permalink)
mitchell Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 04/26/03 Location: Brooklin, Maine Posts: 505	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System I'm very happy and impressed. Dimensions in millimeters: M8: 139 x 80 x 37 M7: 138 x 79 x 37 Weight: M8: 545 grams (without battery) M7: 610 The one possible disappointment for me is the exposure compensation doesn't seem to be as convenient as the DMR's, but it is still a little unclear to me how it works. But, manual is always an option. This does not look like a company going down the drain. I think the M8 may attract a lot of new customers. Can the R 10 be on the way? Best, Mitchell

09/14/06, 04:51 PM	#17 (permalink)
waileong Benutzer Join Date: 09/09/05 Posts: 60	Re: AW: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Why did they need a new pancake 28/2.8 lens? What was wrong with the old one or the current one?

09/14/06, 05:18 PM	#20 (permalink)
guy_mancuso Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 08/16/05 Location: Phoenix Posts: 8,031	Re: LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT: New Leica Products - LEICA M8 / M System Read number 3 carefully . No effect to the raw with lens coding Leica, obviously keen to solve this problem, took a three pronged approach with the M8: 1) Don't use a full frame sensor - at this time it would be cost prohibitive and too complex to produce a sensor which can cover the entire 36x24 mm frame and still work with rangefinder lenses. For this reason the M8's sensor measures 27x18 mm (or 1.33x crop). 2) Use offset microlenses - instead of placing all microlenses directly over the photodiode they are gradually offset as you get closer to the edge of the frame (see below). 3) Know which lens is being used and apply some software correction - all new M series lenses now carry a six-bit code which allows the M8 to identify which lens is used and (optionally) apply a 'final stage' software based vignetting correction (for RAW images the lens used is simply recorded, no change is made). __________________ Guy Mancuso www.guymancusophoto.com Upcoming GetDPI.com Photographic Workshops "It's not always about what the client will accept but about what you want to deliver to your client."