Leica Announcements

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When does Leica usually make new product announcements? Are there particular trade shows when they reveal whatever is next?

 

Thanks.

[mjh]

When does Leica usually make new product announcements?

When new products are ready …

 

This is the time of year (October/November/December) when no vendor is making announcements. The next major trade show with some relevance to photography would be the CES in early January, but that is mostly a venue for introducing inexpensive compact cameras and thus of less interest to Leica. There used to be the PMA show in February or March, only in 2011 the PMA will be in September, just like the photokina if 2011 was a photokina year which it isn’t. But even without a PMA in winter, camera vendors can be counted on to announce new models around February/March. And then there is late spring and summer when again no announcements are likely to be made.

[mooky]

When will Leica make a new product announcement? When they have a big audience of invited guests at some major show, and then show a completely under-whelming idea while they pat each other on the back and say how great it is.

 

Hey, that actually felt good. Leica has fallen off my map after 40 years of using the fine optics. But Hasselblad is looking as good as it always has - and works as good as it always did - and the last time I checked, they haven't thrown any loyal users under the bus. I'll keep one or two of my Leica's and a lens or two, but it will be a huge stretch for me to buy another.

 

A Hasselblad will suit me just fine. Oh, sorry if I went off topic.

[ishkra]

When does Leica usually make new product announcements? Are there particular trade shows when they reveal whatever is next?

 

Thanks.

 

Leica make announcements when a product is ready for the market....the rest is only rumors

[Guest BigSplash]

My view is that if we are talking "M" model announcements, this will happen when two things coincide:

• M9 backlog starts dropping, and from what we hear they still have a lot of backlog to ship
  
• A small upgrade successor (M9.2) or significant next generation camera (M10) is ready for production.
  

If Leica is lucky the M9 bonanza will continue for some time yet and allow them a breathing space for R&D which currently seems to have healthy funds (see half year financial results) .

 

Historically a new M camera is released every 3 years roughly so that may mean Photokina 2012...but personally I hope that it is going to happen sooner.

[rosuna]

When new products are ready …

 

This is the time of year (October/November/December) when no vendor is making announcements. The next major trade show with some relevance to photography would be the CES in early January, but that is mostly a venue for introducing inexpensive compact cameras and thus of less interest to Leica. There used to be the PMA show in February or March, only in 2011 the PMA will be in September, just like the photokina if 2011 was a photokina year which it isn’t. But even without a PMA in winter, camera vendors can be counted on to announce new models around February/March. And then there is late spring and summer when again no announcements are likely to be made.

 

Don't forget the Yokohama C+ Trade Show in Japan, in February.

[andybarton]

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Historically a new M camera is released every 3 years roughly

 

Only since the advent of the M8...

[juergen]

When does Leica usually make new product announcements? Are there particular trade shows when they reveal whatever is next?

 

Thanks.

 

The only new announcements you can count on are regular price increases!

 

Juergen

[UliWer]

The annnouncement of the M9 and the X1 on 09/09/09 - which was a marketing success - shows that they won't follow the arbitary calendars of international trade shows. The last new lenses were also announced independantly of any events. Other companies do the same.