Any rumor about M9?

[super7668]

I've been waiting for M9 for about one year, any rumor/news about it? If it can't show up this Sept, I probably will get an M8 then.

BTW, Leica is offering test drive program in N.A., but actually dealer have to pay to be apart of it, that's really sucks; there's no dealer in Vancouver or BC offer this program.

[andybarton]

Do a search here.

[jaapv]

Let's give him the short answer, Andy. Get out our crystal ball, made of Kron glass...98% sure no M9 this year or next year. Maybe, just maybe if that, an M8-2 with minor changes, but nothing to ditch the M8 for.

Maybe Photokina 2010 or 2012.
If 2012, a sensor upgrade in between I guess....

But then again, Mr Daniel promised us a Photokina full of surprises....With a sneak preview on September 15th

[rob_x2004]

......................... oh I cant wait.
Where was it I should search for reliable information?

[stnami]

Any rumor about M9?

.....I hope not

[Kent10D]

Rumors abut an M9?

Ever since the M8 came out as far as I can remember.

I wouldn't hold my breath, if I were you.

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by rob_x2004

......................... oh I cant wait.
Where was it I should search for reliable information?

Not on the Internet, that is for sure.

[plasticman]

I know it's way more cool to be cynical about this question and say that the earliest date for a new M-digital is still three years away, but I really want to know how on earth Leica will survive that long if they're unable to release something sooner?

I went along to my Leica dealer this week with my Epson and a couple of lenses hoping to do a direct comparison now that used (dollar) prices for the M8 are about what I paid for the RD1s. (I felt I'd bought enough from them over the last couple years to justify using their demo camera as a guinea pig).
Well, they no longer have any demo or even boxed M8 in stock. The camera is 'to order' only, because they can't justify holding one for long periods of time, and said that demand is no longer there. This is the main Leica dealer in Stockholm - as far as I know, the only Leica dealer holding stock north of Gothenburg!

So - three years to go, till the next update huh? Hang on - 2012 is four years away - I beg your pardon. Sometimes my head can't accept what my eyes are reading.
I guess by then we an expect an iPhone will have 3D image capturing capability...

[jaapv]

I is not cool, I agree. Realistic, rather.Have you noticed the large number of posts by recent owners lately, both here and on RFF?

[plasticman]

Jaap - I wish I could believe you were right. I don't want to get into the discussion about the frequency of used sales, or the prices, or the amount of time it takes to sell a used M8 because I know that my posts do come across as negative to a lot of people.

I don't want to be negative, I'm just worried. I honestly think you can't see the wood for the trees sometimes.

Mani

[andym911]

I still expect to see a new Digital M mount at Photokina 2008.

Andy

[thomasl.se]

Originally Posted by plasticman

This is the main Leica dealer in Stockholm - as far as I know, the only Leica dealer holding stock north of Gothenburg!

Wibergs on Karlavägen is stocking everything Leica new and used but is on vacation, so can't be him;
Another is Fotovideo, Herkulesgatan. About two weeks ago they had an M8 demo in the house.

Thomas

[plasticman]

Originally Posted by thomasl.se

Wibergs on Karlavägen is stocking everything Leica new and used but is on vacation, so can't be him;
Another is Fotovideo, Herkulesgatan. About two weeks ago they had an M8 demo in the house.

Thomas

Hi Thomas - I didn't mean Peter at Wibergs. As far as I know he doesn't hold the M8 in stock and he never has - he sells to order. I may stand corrected on this, but I live near to his shop and have been leaving my film for processing there for the last couple of years. Very nice guy incidentally.
I'll be visiting Fotovideo in that case - I'm surprised to say the least that they have a demo.

The shop I was talking about was Schonherrsfoto on Upplandsgatan. I believe I'm right in saying they are the major sellers of Leica equipment in the entire region. Very nice people there too - and I have bought quite a bit from them now, so I felt it was okay to try their demo without actually intending to buy it new. Naturally this doesn't apply to Fotovideo as I've never been in the place - but I'll swing by asap anyway, just to see what they have.

Thanks for the heads-up.

[thomasl.se]

Hi plasticman,

Ah, but of course, Upplandsgatan. They didn't have an M8? Wibergs did last time I was there, which was quite a while ago though.

Fotovideo was a surprise. Sketchy little backstreet. I spotted the M8 while there, and had a look at it with their demo 21 bolted. If they don't have one today, there's always Clas Ohlson a minute away...

Thomas

[marknorton]

Seems clear that Leica are struggling to widen the M8 market - the days of them flying off the shelves are long gone. What's needed of course is a lower cost body, either a new entry level body (but what can they sensibly change to create blue sky between it and the M8?) or else M8s depreciating in free fall after the announcement of an M9.

The danger with a new lower cost body is that it could provide better image quality than the M8 anyway, which would really stall M8 sales.

[stunsworth]

The only thing I can think of is for it to have a sensor with a 1.6 crop factor. That may make things a lot cheaper as they may be able to get away without having to use the microlenses on the M8 sensor - and any vignetting may be recoverable in firmware alone.

But as you say it's difficult, make the camera too cheap, and too good, and you'll syphon sales from the more profitable M8 - asuming that the new 'CL' model can't be made to turn in a larger unit profit than the M8.

[andybarton]

In an ideal world, they would surely have a cheap(er) starter body and an M9, at the same time.

Free-fall M8 values are just a fact of life in the digital world and there can't be any buyers who would not have been aware of this when they entered the brave new world of disposability...

[thrid]

Originally Posted by andym911

I still expect to see a new Digital M mount at Photokina 2008.

Andy

Didn't Leica drop a lot of strong hints regarding a lower cost body for Photokina?
The much speculated digital CL?

It would be nice, although I'm skeptical as to what 'lower priced' means in Leica terms.

In any case they better do something. Apparently Nikon is readying a 10MP P&S, with the APS sensor from the D60 and perhaps a fixed prime lens. I could see them selling these for well under $1000. Maybe this is the rumored Nikon RF...

[thrid]

Originally Posted by stunsworth

The only thing I can think of is for it to have a sensor with a 1.6 crop factor. That may make things a lot cheaper as they may be able to get away without having to use the microlenses on the M8 sensor - and any vignetting may be recoverable in firmware alone.
.

I really wouldn't mind seeing an digital CL with an APS (x1.5) sensor of at least 10MP. Who know, they may even be able to use an off the shelf APS chip from a company like SONY (think D300). The extra DOF of the APS format would come in handy for street and documentary work.

Leica could even make DX primes for this camera. Talk about a cash cow.

[plasticman]

I very much doubt the Nikon RF would be priced around $1k - more like starting around 2,5 at the very least, if it ever actually makes an appearance (which I doubt more and more).

My thoughts were also that the sensor crop would be 1.5 instead. And if some of the electronics were simplified (no jpeg, no lens recognition, no electronic wind,) - would any of that be able to impact the price?

I think Leica needs this type of camera - it brings new people into the M-system. I came in after falling in love with a Dlux2. Many more like me out there who don't know what Leica has to offer (other than prices out of their reach)...