Photokina 2010 Predictions

[UliWer]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I see a Summilux 28 in my crystal ball.

 

I see it bouncing against the 35 and 24 Summiluxes, as well as against the 28 Summicron, damaging them and itself.

 

Filling imaginary gaps on a list of lenses is no sufficient reason for producing a lens.

[lct]

...Filling imaginary gaps on a list of lenses is no sufficient reason for producing a lens.

Since when do Summiluxes fill imaginary gaps in Leica lists of lenses?

Why would we have Summiluxes in 21, 24, 35, 50 and not 28mm focal length?

We will get one soon hopefully and a Summilux 75 asph would be very welcome as well.

But the latter won't come before a 0.85x M9 i guess.

Unless 0.85x happens to fill another imaginary gap of course.

[Ecaton]

Lux 28, lux 75 asph, new tri elmar 28-35-50. X1 on steroids.

[UliWer]

...Why would we have Summiluxes in 21, 24, 35, 50 and not 28mm focal length?

....

 

Well, you look at the different focal lengthes of Summiluxes and see a gap at 28mm.

 

I call this gap an imaginary one, as it only exists if one looks at the list, but not because there is a reasonable need for such a lens.

 

If we look at comments about 28mm lenses in this forum, we very often read that 28 is too close to 35 and/or 24. So customers who have a 35 lux and/or a 24 lux would not very often opt for another 28 lux. Those who would be interested in a 28lux would often rule out the two others. And there is still the 28 cron.

 

Therefore I think, Leica would not find many new customers for a 28 lux but rather find out that sales for this lens go to the detriment of others already on the market. Leica's capacities to produce different lenses are not very high at the moment to say the least.

 

Therefore I don't believe in a 28 lux. Though I know that Leica and reasonable behaviour don't always go together.

 

I agree with you, that a 75lux would call for a bigger magnification of the viewfinder. I have a M6 with 0.85 and know how much this helps for longer focal lengthes. Unfortunately a 0.85 magnification doesn't allow frames for 28mm. As long as I only had the M6 with 0.85, I wasn't interested in a 28mm lens. So what does this say about the probability that we will have a 75lux and a 28lux?

[lct]

There have been 28mm framelines since the eightees in 0.72x, 0.68x and 0.58x M bodies. Deserves a full range of lenses in the first place IMHO.

[UliWer]

Let's bet on the new lens:

 

If there is no new 28lux, you pay me 4500,-€.

 

If there is a new 28lux, you may spend 4500,-€ on it, I get nothing and have to keep my 28cron.

 

Fair enough?:p

[lct]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I don't like big lenses so i won't buy one most probably.

[adan]

I might note that Nikon's reading of the market led them to discontinue their 28 f/1.4 and replace it with 24 f/1.4 and 35 f/1.4 (new today: Nikon announces AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G lens: Digital Photography Review) lenses.

 

Canon never even bothered with a 28 f/1.4 - went right to 24mm 30 years ago.

 

(of trivia note: Nikon's first new optical design for a 35 f/1.4 since 1971)

[lct]

Sure but Nikon & Canon bodies have no 28m framelines in their viewfinder.

[adan]

From a practical usage point of view, I don't find that Leica does either

[lct]

Hehe! perhaps they should stop making the Elmarit and the Summicron then. It is so marvelous to focus a 24/1.4 lens with an accessory viewfinder isn't it.

[UliWer]

I don't like big lenses so i won't buy one most probably.

 

O.k, you won.

[marknorton]

There are just 5 Leica M lenses which are supported natively by the M9 viewfinder if you believe the 28mm frame is basically useless: 35mm f2.5, f2, f1.4, 50mm f2.5, f2. Anything wider (9 lenses) requires an aux finder, anything faster at 50mm or longer (7 lenses) benefits from a viewfinder magnifier. The viewfinder/rangefinder needs to be reinvented for the lenses available now. My next lens money is going on the Nikon 85mm f1.4.

[elgenper]

There are just 5 Leica M lenses which are supported natively by the M9 viewfinder if you believe the 28mm frame is basically useless: 35mm f2.5, f2, f1.4, 50mm f2.5, f2. Anything wider (9 lenses) requires an aux finder, anything faster at 50mm or longer (7 lenses) benefits from a viewfinder magnifier. The viewfinder/rangefinder needs to be reinvented for the lenses available now. My next lens money is going on the Nikon 85mm f1.4.

 

Now, these are clear-cut rules....

 

Honestly, I have no real problems with my 75/2 either, as long as I use the correct part of my varifocals. What I´ve found (and I don´t think it´s news for any experienced user) is that one has to be very clear over just where the paper-thin plane of sharpness must fall within an image, and not just focus on something ´easy´ like spectacle rims instead of irises when doing a tight portrait.

 

Whether a magnifier is helpful or not must be highly dependent on one´s individual eyesight. And, for spectacle users like myself, even the 35 frame is marginal; I can just see it at the very edge of my finder view, but nothing outside it. So I lose one of the advantages of M finders: seeing what is just going to enter the image from an edge....

[GreyCoupe]

R [solution], damn it.

[Jaybob]

Just my predictions, based on observations of this forum mostly, nothing personal.

 

M9 is probably too new for anything radical. I think they may have squeezed all they can out of that combination of the CCD FF sensor and LR3 as far as high ISO (1000-1600) performance goes. As an available light camera it is not yet on par with the now three year old D3. When there is better performance (meaning CONTROLLABLE noise) in the speed ranges of 3200 4000 5000, (M10, 3 YEARS AWAY I predict) I will be the first one in line.

 

They should catch up on M9 production before they start offering green leather or custom engravings.

 

The M lens line is already way too crowded. A 24 f2 would be great, but there's 3 lenses of that focal length already!

 

I think the R system is done.

 

I think S lenses are what we are going to see this fall.

 

Jay

[marknorton]

I certainly agree the M lens line is too crowded and introducing new lenses runs the risk of stealing sales from those close by.

 

Unless Leica have a few white rabbits to pull out of the hat, I fear it's going to be a bit of a ho-hum Photokina for me when I visit on Wednesday.

 

Does make you wonder though, what have all those research and development people being doing with their time since the M9/S2. Oh, I forgot, trying to speed up the X1 AF.

 

Sorry, much as I like the DRF, we need a new and different camera to support the M lens line.

[coup de foudre]

I see a Summilux 28 in my crystal ball.

 

shut your mouth! there is no way i could afford it but, oh... the lust!

[jgmb]

Does make you wonder though, what have all those research and development people being doing with their time since the M9/S2.

 

I think we might find out what R&D and Maike Harberts have been working on as soon as next Monday:

 

Leica EVIL to be introduced on Monday? | Leica News & Rumors

 

The following rumor predicts Leica will reveal a full-frame compact EVIL system with new lenses that will also accommodate R lenses:

 

Rumor: Leica EVIL camera for Photokina | Leica News & Rumors

 

Internal autofocus on a moving sensor is also something Thorsten Overgaard predicted for the cancelled R10 project:

 

leica.overgaard.dk - Thorsten Overgaard's Leica Pages - Leica R10 Full Frame 35mm integrated dSLR camera coming in 2009-2010

 

If the claimed specs are true and the EVF is Hi-Def, I will be first in line. For my needs, this would be an ideal solution for my R lenses, especially at the predicted price point. My fingers are crossed!

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Kyler.]

What does everybody think this new camera that Leica is releasing on monday is?

 

A digital R solution?

A whole new line?

Something that takes M lenses?