Brief interview with Christian Erhardt

[Rick]

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Interview at CES. Interview: Leica at PPE 2011: Digital Photography Review

 

Wow, I don't know where to start...

[NZDavid]

Good general marketing talk emphasizing Leica's heritage and classic design -- but very little on future direction or specifics. (Well, he wouldn't want to give away any secrets!)

 

Compare with this interview with Stefan Daniel who talks about EVFs becoming more important, among other points.

 

Exclusive: Leica Interview – October 2011 • MegaPixel

[rosuna]

Erhardt explained 'when it comes to interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras we have the M system. The M system is perfect'.

 

Any new offer in the mirrorless area will be based on the M system then?

[Ecaton]

And with that attitude they plan to grow market share from presently 0.15% to 1%? Seriously? I only hope some language barrier made the answers read so dull.

[k-hawinkler]

Pathetic!

 

K-H.

[Ralf]

Absolutely ridiculous, both questions and answers.

[lct]

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This is an interview from last october. Stefan Daniel did one in october and another one in July 2011. Daniel said that the Ms are the first mirrorless cameras as well. He did not say "perfect" though. What is sure is one can rely on any M camera to focus fastly and accurately wide, standard and not-too-fast tele lenses even in low light.

[bocaburger]

In the spring of '09 I read some statement from Herr Daniel to the effect that the technology to produce a full-frame digital M body to Leica's exacting demands still did not exist. As a result, I decided to have my M8 upgraded with shutter, framelines, and sapphire glass. That fall, lo and behold, the M9 went on sale. So y'all will have to excuse me, but I'm not putting stock in anything he or anyone else from Leica has to say unless they're announcing a new product.

[hoppyman]

In June 2009, Stefan Daniel at the LUG meeting told us that there would be an M9, that the full frame format was technically demanding but they were a step closer but not yet able to announce a new model.

I don't think you can fault his honesty on any of that. By the way I got my M8 upgraded there anyway and was given some hundreds of Euro extra value for free with the upgrade.

[jaques]

do any camera manufacturers only offer a 90 day warranty? and I beg to differ about the claim to having a virtually unparalleled customer care service. Most definitely not my experience here in Australia....

[bocaburger]

In June 2009, Stefan Daniel at the LUG meeting told us that there would be an M9, that the full frame format was technically demanding but they were a step closer but not yet able to announce a new model.

I don't think you can fault his honesty on any of that. By the way I got my M8 upgraded there anyway and was given some hundreds of Euro extra value for free with the upgrade.

 

Yes, marketing professionals like politicians can craft a statement in such a way to escape being called out for telling an outright fib. Where we differ I think is that you're willing to round a half-truth up, whereas I can't help round it down The tone/implication was that the M9 was a lot further from fruition than it ultimately was. BTW congrats on getting all that extra free value on the upgrade. Mine cost me $1700 of which I got back about $500 a year later when I sold it for that much more than what a non-upgraded M8 was going for. That's an unrelated issue of course, my decision to upgrade would have been just as economically foolish even if the M9 had not come out so quickly.

[hoppyman]

I can't agree with you there. I would not expect any camera company executive to pre-empt the official announcement campaign of a major new product by 3 months (in this case). I don't consider that Stefan Daniel was 'fibbing' to us at all. My whole point is that he has always been completely honest.

 

Of course we are not going to be party to everything within company policy and decisions. That would make no commercial sense at all and I don't think that any camera company operates that way, nor should. In the case of Leica Camera every scrap of comment or hint from management tends to get dissected and interpreted at length. Sometimes that bites them but they appear to be learning to use that avenue of communication better too..

 

Sometimes too new developments or circumstances or management can mean policy or plans get changed. The well known cancellation of the R10 would be a prominent example. Actually forum members were the first told personally and on the same occasion that we were given the M9 update.

 

Certainly I did not get back the full amount I paid for my M8 or its upgrade when I chose to sell it either. I don't consider that in any way a fault of Leica Camera. New models are released and the old models become less attractive to buyers. That is perfectly usual. The superceded model does not work any less well. None of this is unique to Leica Camera nor even to cameras.

 

Yes, marketing professionals like politicians can craft a statement in such a way to escape being called out for telling an outright fib. Where we differ I think is that you're willing to round a half-truth up, whereas I can't help round it down The tone/implication was that the M9 was a lot further from fruition than it ultimately was. BTW congrats on getting all that extra free value on the upgrade. Mine cost me $1700 of which I got back about $500 a year later when I sold it for that much more than what a non-upgraded M8 was going for. That's an unrelated issue of course, my decision to upgrade would have been just as economically foolish even if the M9 had not come out so quickly.