Firmware is on its way !?

[Nicoleica]

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Boys, Boys, Boys.....

 

I leave you alone to play amongst yourselves for a couple of months, and come back to find you still squabbling.

[andybarton]

We've missed you, Nicole

[jaapv]

Hello there, Nicole

[bill]

Nicole! Yay! Where have you been?!

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Guest BigSplash]

Sorry, I can only call this bollocks. There are tens of thousands of M8 users perfectly happy with what it is. Nothing will be done to the hardware, as it is a discontinued product. How do you know this? The saphire screen upgrade is still available. Why would they not offer a flash synch socket for example? Why would they not offer tethering on M8 and M9? Just normal repair support from now on.

 

Firmware will indeed be updated as needed, but why on earth should Leica add new features. Because people want it and are prepared to pay for it. Because compared to the R&D investment in other areas modifying existing software if it is modular is not a big undertaking. If it is NOT modular then Leica needs to move in that direction to prepare for M9.2 M10 etc or rebuild from scratch each time.

 

I cannot recall any instance of any camera manufacturer providing that kind of support, in fact Leica is probably the best company in that respect. So does that mean that Leica should follow the lead of other camera manufacturers...why not give up making rangefinder cameras and follow the crowd? Let's be clear Leica has a chance to offer something special here to effectively upgrade their cameras with features derived from other devts. That is in my view a great differentiator.

 

 

I know many M8 owners and the only reason they do not buy an M9 in my experience is because they are completely satisfied with their M8. In my case I would phrase it differently:

• M9 is not a step function that is significant enough compared to M8 with a bunch of lenses to minimise the impact of the crop factor.
  
• I think the next generation is what people are waiting for.........
  
  • next gen sensor, that is most likely CMOS
    
  • a larger buffer memory,
    
  • maestro chip set
    
  • An ability to improve continuous mode shooting ....todays 2 fps (v 5 fps with Nikon) is not good enough
    
  • A sequence of 8 images max ( compared to 20 with Nikon) is too few.
    
  • Ability to offer LiveView as an accessory (due to CMOS sensor)
    
  • Focus Verification.
    
  • Return of the frame counter display
    
  • Tethering
    
  • Electronic shutter release
    
  • External battery connection into the USP port for cold weather etc.
    

Please document your "many thousands":rolleyes:[ Well they sold some 40,000 M8 cameras did they not? Is it not reasonable to expect that many people fro that group would be interested in features upgrades?

/quote]

[jaapv]

As I said, bollocks... It seems to be very hard to understand two very simple words: discontinued model I'll repeat in another color: discontinued model If you want more features buy the M9, which is current, or don't if it does not meet your wishes.

 

Or is it time to demand a satnav for your Model T Ford?

 

And I might add that I have no interest at all in speculating about a next generation M - I have too much fun with my current one and "obsolete" ones. I'll see what happens when it happens.

 

As for your wish-list - well a nice summary of goofy and less goofy ideas garnered from this forum - but I doubt it reflects reality in any way.

[andybarton]

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Let's be clear Leica has a chance to offer something special here to effectively upgrade their cameras with features derived from other devts. That is in my view a great differentiator.

 

That is in my view a great way to canibalise sales of your non-discontinued models...

 

The M8 is discontinued. It isn't made any more. Leica make a newer, better camera, now, instead. The firmware is in "maintenance" mode.

 

I will pay another £10 to AICR if Leica ever bring out software that makes the M8 remotely close to the M9.

[bill]

I will pay another £10 to AICR if Leica ever bring out software that makes the M8 remotely close to the M9.

 

I'll pay another £50.

 

In the meantime, I agree with Jaap:

 

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Technical note - I regret not using a 35mm lens instead of the 50 - I would have been able to get the representative level of bullshit in as well.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[andybarton]

That's enough posting of gratuitous photos in technical threads, thanks, BIll.

[bill]

Indeed, Andy, my apologies - you are absolutely right. I shall refrain from further posting of images that are bollocks.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Guest BigSplash]

As I said, bollocks... It seems to be very hard to understand two very simple words: discontinued model I'll repeat in another color: discontinued model If you want more features buy the M9, which is current, or don't if it does not meet your wishes.

 

Or is it time to demand a satnav for your Model T Ford?

 

And I might add that I have no interest at all in speculating about a next generation M - I have too much fun with my current one and "obsolete" ones. I'll see what happens when it happens.

 

As for your wish-list - well a nice summary of goofy and less goofy ideas garnered from this forum - but I doubt it reflects reality in any way.

 

Gosh you just do not get it.

First let me address the satnav for classic cars ....I saw yesterday a pristine E Type jaguar and the guy had both a satnav and a handsfree phone fitted. I did exactly the same on my 933 porsche (very last air cooled model) .

While on cars it seems to me that an industry exists that takes factory fresh current and also discontinued models ...tunes them (think Alpina), adds cosmetic trim, fit specialist (Recaro) seats, build hifi systems etc etc This is a large industry so I would not simply believe that it does not exist.

 

Now let me address the real issue

• Please could you explain to me why I should not pay say £300 to £500 for a firmware upgrade that gives me on my M8 features such as manual lens selection, and bracketing.?
  
• Put another way why do you suggest that M8 owners should pay £5000 for an M9 (less the £1800 say for my M8) to give me the above plus FF.?
  
• Why am I wrong to not want to pay £3000 more for full frame, and no 1/8000th speed at this time when I am convinced that a M9 successor will eventually surface.?
  

I am intrigued to see what rational arguments you have to address the above issues . Personally I am not interested in going FF for an M9 that is not giving me much more than FF compared to the M8. In so doing I have seen that the M9 has removed functionality such as 1/8000 and frame counter, and has received critique on its continuous mode performance, ISO range and other items mentioned in my last posting. You want me to pay £3000 for that !

[Guest BigSplash]

That's enough posting of gratuitous photos in technical threads, thanks, BIll.

 

Andy Bill is just being himself and trying his best to be funny. Did you really expect some added value comment about firmware from him?

 

Still it is nice to see one reprimand from you as a moderator. Pleased to see that Bill apologised ..I think!?

[DES]

Now now chaps....Nicoleica might see all this.

[bill]

No, Frank, we simply would like you to stop posting bollocks.

 

I have politely acceded to Andy's request not to do so - now how about you doing the same, eh? There's a good chap. It will speed your recovery.

[stunsworth]

Come on Frank, how many people do you think would pay £500 for a firmware update that gave them so little? Especially given that the improvements you suggest are non-essential for most people - or at least the M8 owners I've met.

 

For what it's worth I've shot in the south of France and have never felt the need for a grey card or bracketing.

[jaapv]

Gosh you just do not get it.

First let me address the satnav for classic cars ....I saw yesterday a pristine E Type jaguar and the guy had both a satnav and a handsfree phone fitted. I did exactly the same on my 933 porsche (very last air cooled model) .

While on cars it seems to me that an industry exists that takes factory fresh current and also discontinued models ...tunes them (think Alpina), adds cosmetic trim, fit specialist (Recaro) seats, build hifi systems etc etc This is a large industry so I would not simply believe that it does not exist.

 

 

 

Now let me address the real issue

• Please could you explain to me why I should not pay say £300 to £500 for a firmware upgrade that gives me on my M8 features such as manual lens selection, and bracketing.?
  
• Put another way why do you suggest that M8 owners should pay £5000 for an M9 (less the £1800 say for my M8) to give me the above plus FF.?
  
• Why am I wrong to not want to pay £3000 more for full frame, and no 1/8000th speed at this time when I am convinced that a M9 successor will eventually surface.?
  

I am intrigued to see what rational arguments you have to address the above issues . Personally I am not interested in going FF for an M9 that is not giving me much more than FF compared to the M8. In so doing I have seen that the M9 has removed functionality such as 1/8000 and frame counter, and has received critique on its continuous mode performance, ISO range and other items mentioned in my last posting. You want me to pay £3000 for that !

It is your decision and your (faulty) perception. So don't pay 3000 - I see my computer has no pound key - a sign of the times??. Please go and buy a toy you like but stop these nonsensical posts

[mjh]

Please could you explain to me why I should not pay say £300 to £500 for a firmware upgrade that gives me on my M8 features such as manual lens selection, and bracketing.?

If Leica did offer this, it would be your decision and your’s alone whether you buy that upgrade. Alas, this upgrade option doesn’t exist, so the question is moot.

 

Put another way why do you suggest that M8 owners should pay £5000 for an M9 (less the £1800 say for my M8) to give me the above plus FF.?

Nobody is suggesting that anyone should spend £5000 for an M9. It just happens that a lot of M8 owners do.

 

Why am I wrong to not want to pay £3000 more for full frame, and no 1/8000th speed at this time when I am convinced that a M9 successor will eventually surface.?

It is your’s to decide and whatever you do or don’t is perfectly OK. Nobody’s blaming you if you keep your M8 instead. But whichever way you decide, you have to live with that decision.

[bill]

But whichever way you decide, you have to live with that decision.

 

And there's the rub, I think...

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Guest BigSplash]

That is in my view a great way to canibalise sales of your non-discontinued models...

 

 

This is plain wrong ...Let me point out:

1. Leica seem to have months of backlog and cannot ship quickly enough. Today they are limited by their production capacity or supplier commitments or both.
   
2. Many pros are suddenly discovering the Leica M8 . There are several threads here about buying multiple M8 bodies ...especially for wedding photographers. Solms makes no money at all on these sales but could if they started selling feature upgrades.
   
3. Leica enjoys 0.2% penetration of their target market of 11.2MUnits high end DSLR's which is a market segment currently growing faster than other photo sectors. Leica's challenge is to asap discontinue M9 and bring out M9.2 or M10 and further penetrate this market segment. When this happens M9 should enjoy feature upgrades in the same way as I suggest for M8.
   
4. Leica has no low cost entry camera. We are repeatedly told that a "Used Leica camera" is the low cost entry camera and always has been.......So M8 at say £1800 used plus £300 to £500 cash for firmware features upgrade (ie much less than a M9 at a cool £5000 ) fits the declared Leica strategy, and by offering firmware features Solms can enjoy a second and maybe eventually even more bites of the cake!
   

How can you say it will eat into new camera sales!

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Hallo,

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[stunsworth]

Leica's challenge is to asap discontinue M9 and bring out M9.2 or M10...

 

It's not so long ago that you were assuring us in no uncertain terms that the M10 would be released on the 10/10/10. That's now just over 3 months away, are you still confident that the M10 will be released then?