DFV Posted January 10, 2010 Share #1 Posted January 10, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Amidst all the turmoil and our personal requests regarding our interpretation of what the M digital should be I had a thought that has been on my mind for quite some time now. How would the market respond to a replica of the Leica IIIf or IIIg in a digital version. Mi idea would be; - A modern replica of the IIIf or IIIg but keeping the size and functionality of the original. - With all the manual controls as knobs and buttons of the IIIg or IIIf. - No image processing. All are taken at DNG to be extracted and processed in your computer. - No color preview screen. - A small LCD indication for frames left and battery. - With the leica M-mount. - With a modern M-viewfinder if it fits. - The sensor of the M8. (not saying that it is better than the M9 I just doubt anything larger would fit inside this setup) Would the reduced size and increased battery life be an advantage for you? Would this be commercial? Would this make everybody happy if Leica where to make a "Leica IV" for nostalgics and the "Leica M" for those that want a more advanced approach? Would you be ready to spend 5,000 € for it? Or how much would you be ready to spend? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 10, 2010 Posted January 10, 2010 Hi DFV, Take a look here Leica IIIf Digital. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stunsworth Posted January 10, 2010 Share #2 Posted January 10, 2010 Would this be commercial? No Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scc Posted January 10, 2010 Share #3 Posted January 10, 2010 I wouldn't buy one .. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted January 10, 2010 Share #4 Posted January 10, 2010 Would you be ready to spend 5,000 € for it? No. I'm all for a stripped down version of the M9 but I wouldn't pay €5000 for a cropped sensor camera. I wouldn't want the M rangefinder compromised so I can't see how it could be made as small as you suggest. The X-1 with a 35mm brightline finder stuck on top is pretty close to what you suggest and quite an attractive proposition for a "carry-around" camera (though not a permanent substitute for a proper M camera). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFV Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share #5 Posted January 10, 2010 The X-1 with a 35mm brightline finder stuck on top is pretty close to what you suggest and quite an attractive proposition for a "carry-around" camera (though not a permanent substitute for a proper M camera). The problem I guess with the X-1 is an a M owner would you carry it around? I like the X-1 over any compact but I would always either think; "I did not need to take this around" or "I should have brought my M for better pictures". (What is essentially causing my G10 to collect dust.) In the end the X-1 is an interesting proposal but not really for us. I guess it is meant for people that want to jump from the digital compact cameras to something with more performance quality without completely going into the M system. I would have actually loved if it had the capability to take M lenses. It would be a great backup camera! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
!Nomad64 Posted January 10, 2010 Share #6 Posted January 10, 2010 Nay Sir, manual controls and buttons are just too awkward for today's standards. IMHO it would have more sense if all of what you proposed were based on an MP. Just my 2c. Cheers, Bruno Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveleo Posted January 10, 2010 Share #7 Posted January 10, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) The X-1 with a 35mm brightline finder stuck on top is pretty close to what you suggest and quite an attractive proposition for a "carry-around" camera (though not a permanent substitute for a proper M camera). i agree ! and €5000 ??? .... you're going in the wrong direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted January 10, 2010 Share #8 Posted January 10, 2010 That's not a lllf anyway! Idea's not very sound. All these people who say they want a digital without any LCD, I just don't get it. Surely that's one of the major advantages of shooting digital, that you can ensure you have the result instantly. I can imagine all the "I miss my LCD" and "I never realised how much I need my preview screen" posts if ever such a camera were made! Buy an M9, set it up how you wish then stick black tape over the screen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chkphoto Posted January 10, 2010 Share #9 Posted January 10, 2010 Already done. Made by Minox and has an OVF Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/109200-leica-iiif-digital/?do=findComment&comment=1181992'>More sharing options...
DFV Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share #10 Posted January 10, 2010 Already done. Made by Minox and has an OVF I meant with a minimum of quality... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFV Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share #11 Posted January 10, 2010 Nay Sir, manual controls and buttons are just too awkward for today's standards. IMHO it would have more sense if all of what you proposed were based on an MP. Just my 2c. Cheers, Bruno So you would find a striped down version of the M9 or a digital version of the MP at a much lower cost. The question is by how much would a digital M striped to the bare essential really benefit from such a cost cut. Could something like this go on the market for 2 to 3,000€? So then it would simply be an X-1 with M lens compatibility. How would M8 and M9 owners react to such a development? Would you feel you have lost the exclusivity of M-lenses? Would you welcome this as a chance to have a spare at a more affordable cost should you have and accident with your main camera? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted January 10, 2010 Share #12 Posted January 10, 2010 What are you going to strip out of the M9 to save half the cost? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFV Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share #13 Posted January 10, 2010 That's not a lllf anyway! Buy an M9, set it up how you wish then stick black tape over the screen. Never said it was... it is actually the fastest picture I could come up with from wikipedia... Already own an M9 and just shutting the preview option off should do the trick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFV Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share #14 Posted January 10, 2010 What are you going to strip out of the M9 to save half the cost? Yes, my question exactly. Can it be done at all? If you go extreme and remove the color back screen, the automatic advance, the chip set needed to convert the shots to JPEG... other than that I can think of nothing. On top of that you would need to add ISO setting knob. I doubt that this could amount to more than 1,500€. Unless you have a size and weight advantage with this product it would be a hard sale. Therefore something with the size and weight of a Leica III at 3,500€ could make sense? Don't know, What do you think? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted January 10, 2010 Share #15 Posted January 10, 2010 What do I think? This digital IIIf will cost about as much to make as an M9. I don't think you can sell a digital camera without a rear LCD and no one is going to want to cock the shutter with a knob. This technology went out with the ark, and with good reason. What are you going to do about lenses other than 50mm? Presumably, you will need to use external viewfinders, as on the IIIf? This would then make this camera more expensive than an M9... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFV Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share #16 Posted January 10, 2010 What do I think? This digital IIIf will cost about as much to make as an M9. I don't think you can sell a digital camera without a rear LCD and no one is going to want to cock the shutter with a knob. This technology went out with the ark, and with good reason. What are you going to do about lenses other than 50mm? Presumably, you will need to use external viewfinders, as on the IIIf? This would then make this camera more expensive than an M9... No, I meant as suggested this would be based on an MP. The knob would is in this case never be an option. That would really be a problem! The IIIf would indeed be as expensive to make as an M9 and in any case it would have to go with the M viewfinder. The IIIf simply would not be appropriate anymore. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted January 10, 2010 Share #17 Posted January 10, 2010 Hmm... How would the market respond to a replica of the Leica IIIf or IIIg in a digital version. Mi idea would be; - A modern replica of the IIIf or IIIg but keeping the size and functionality of the original. - With all the manual controls as knobs and buttons of the IIIg or IIIf. No, I meant as suggested this would be based on an MP. The knob would is in this case never be an option. That would really be a problem! The IIIf would indeed be as expensive to make as an M9 and in any case it would have to go with the M viewfinder. The IIIf simply would not be appropriate anymore. End of thread. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
!Nomad64 Posted January 10, 2010 Share #18 Posted January 10, 2010 So you would find a striped down version of the M9 or a digital version of the MP at a much lower cost. The question is by how much would a digital M striped to the bare essential really benefit from such a cost cut. Could something like this go on the market for 2 to 3,000€? So then it would simply be an X-1 with M lens compatibility. How would M8 and M9 owners react to such a development? Would you feel you have lost the exclusivity of M-lenses? Would you welcome this as a chance to have a spare at a more affordable cost should you have and accident with your main camera? First of all a premise: we're talking about dreamware and *very* personal tastes.. Then, it is not said that it would be at much a lower cost. I think it should be in the same region of an MP cost plus something for the electronics plus something to recover the engineering & production costs. I.e. in between the MP and the M9, but quite closer to this latter than the opposite. My point is that being old and traditionalist, I'd like to see a mechanical MP which has a digital sensor in her belly and whose battery is meant only to feed the sensor and the light meter. All the rest should be manual and mechanic, starting from the shutter. And yes, the ISO speed might be manually set by the knob on the back. Oh, one last thing: 0.58 and 0.72 versions would be available too. I have no clue as to how M8 and M9 owners would react to this novelty. And they wouldn't lose the exclusivity of M-lenses, for this would be too an M-camera, or better, it would be an M in the purest sense of the term. It should be the camera that wasn't there after the last of the M6 left Solms and before the M8 came out. And it wouldn't be my spare camera. This would be my flagship unit. Available in silver and black chrome. In the meantime I keep dreaming, Bruno Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted January 10, 2010 Share #19 Posted January 10, 2010 Are the SM Leicas beautiful sculptures in mechanical engineering? Absolutely. (so are the Canon versions, for the most part) I haven't used one since 1974 - but I can still concede the artistry of the details and form: Leica IIIf RD ST Suppose the X-1 had picked up some of the design cues from a IIIc/IIIf, instead of being sort of a hash of the M8/9, "O" series, and Digilux 2? (If you think my version is ugly - I won't disagree. Not happy yet with the handling of the viewfinder hump where it meets the flash. I don't claim to be God's gift to industrial design - at least not just messing around in PS on a Sunday afternoon. ) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/109200-leica-iiif-digital/?do=findComment&comment=1182584'>More sharing options...
daveleo Posted January 10, 2010 Share #20 Posted January 10, 2010 didn't his topic get beat to death on the X1 forum a few months back ??? yes it did .... go read that stuff .... and don't get the price above $2000 US, because very few people are even ready to sign up for that for a minimalist "carry-around". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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