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Leica M-E discontinued ?!


LoL22

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Maybe there should be a separate section in Barnacks Bar called "Luddites Bar" where people can wring their hands ad nauseum about all the modern things they don't like and recall happy memories of the good old days.

 

Ironic. Such a forum would by necessity have to be empty.

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It would all depend on how keen Truesense are to keep making batches and how much profit they make on them.

 

Wilson

 

Which ultimately is a function of what Leica is willing to commit to, is it not? If Leica is committed to having batches of sensors available to support the M9 in a timely manner, they will be willing to pay Truesense what it takes to have them available. When that is too much for Leica to stomach, then the M9 will go the way of the M8.

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Guest tanks
... Unless, of course, the successor is imminent. Leica didn't announce the discontinuation of the M9 until the M was announced. But I cannot see an M-E successor that close in the future.

 

Peter

 

I'd still say the successor to the M-E is the M. As others also have also conjectured in my opinion M-E is the stop gap camera for NEW users of Leica while the M is getting into the supply chain.

 

From a marketing standpoint, having a relabeled M9, hence the M-E, at a discounted price makes more sense than reducing the price of M9 once they had announced the discontinuation of the M9.

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I for one will be disappointed if the M-E is discontinued as this was my target replacement for my M8 when I am ready.

I think the M-E fitted well into the Leica strategy of having entry level products in the way that the Summarit lenses were.

Many in Leica land dismiss entry level products as some how being second rate. I think with time the Summarits have come to be accepted. The M-E is following this trend. The question is will Leica continue with an entry level body. It would make sense to produce an M-E with the components that are current for the M240. Anyone who has worked in manufacturing will see the sense of this standardisation. However, the marketing people tend to call the tune, so it remains to be seen what the outcome will be.

Also I learned along time ago that manufacturing cost and sales cost are un-related. The sales cost is 'what the market will stand'. So I hope Leica is listening, as my market is only targeted at the M-E level.

 

Regards,

 

Nick.

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Gear-oriented people just don't get the pleasure involved in using a tool that's stripped down to the bare minimum, and performs its one function perfectly. They like gadgets with more knobs and flashing LEDs, and anyone who disagrees with that viewpoint must be a luddite.

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I'd call M Typ 240 stripped down to the bare minimum compared to other top cameras from Nikon, Canon etc..

 

Any more stripping they'd go out of business.:D

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Gear-oriented people just don't get the pleasure involved in using a tool that's stripped down to the bare minimum, and performs its one function perfectly. They like gadgets with more knobs and flashing LEDs, and anyone who disagrees with that viewpoint must be a luddite.

 

The minimum for what application? For some it is a pinhole camera and for others they need a lot more features or lenses, or something specialized. For many the camera is chosen based on what they want to do with it... rather than trying to fit their vision into what a specific camera is capable of doing.

 

My GoPro is a very minimalistic camera which excels at a few applications and is pretty useless for others. Few seem to have a problem with that. However there seems to be some disagreement here on how versatile a tool the Leica M system should be. I would guess that from Leica's perspective they see more profit potential in making it as versatile as possible. If that proves to be true, then the argument is over.

 

Any word on the rumor of the M-E being discontinued having any truth behind it?

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...However there seems to be some disagreement here on how versatile a tool the Leica M system should be. I would guess that from Leica's perspective they see more profit potential in making it as versatile as possible. If that proves to be true, then the argument is over.

...

 

Exactly. The live view and EVF will allow people to use the M for more applications replacing the use of other systems if desired.

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The live view and EVF will allow people to use the M for more applications replacing the use of other systems if desired.

 

Of course, and that ship has sailed. The issue raised is whether there should or could be a 'stripped down' alternative option. The MM, which can't very easily do color, besides lacking EVF and live view, seems to be surviving ok for now. But I suppose that will evolve or die, too. Sign of the times.

 

And, fwiw, I'm a fan of the new M, and a potential customer.

 

Jeff

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Gear-oriented people just don't get the pleasure involved in using a tool that's stripped down to the bare minimum, and performs its one function perfectly. They like gadgets with more knobs and flashing LEDs, and anyone who disagrees with that viewpoint must be a luddite.

 

 

Bollocks. 8-)

Turnabout is fair play.

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Gear-oriented people just don't get the pleasure involved in using a tool that's stripped down to the bare minimum, and performs its one function perfectly. They like gadgets with more knobs and flashing LEDs, and anyone who disagrees with that viewpoint must be a luddite.

 

That's a bit of an absolute statement. By that logic you should still be shooting a meterless film Leica.

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Exactly. The live view and EVF will allow people to use the M for more applications replacing the use of other systems if desired.

 

For me LV justifies the cost of the M240. I prefer RF cameras over SLR bodies. But even I have to admit that there are times where a SLR clearly is the better tool for certain jobs like macro, copy work etc.

 

Given the cost of the digital M bodies I found it difficult to justify spending that kind of money on something like the M9, which only had the capabilities of a RF. Yes, I have a VISO III, but that is a limited solution. Basically I would be out of luck if I needed to do macro work etc.

 

Now with the M240 I get to have my cake and eat it. You get an RF body and LV makes the camera far more versatile, allowing you to do a lot of the specialized work that normally would require an SLR. Heck the darn thing even shoots video, which means I don't have to drag along ANOTHER piece of gear when I go on a trip or need to shoot a clip for work.

 

And the best part is that you get these extra features without compromising the gestalt that makes an M camera what it is. Unless you turn on LV or video you would never know it was there and the 240 behaves and feels just like any other digital M.

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Try to get a car now that has just an am/fm radio. Try to get one without air conditioning (at least in the US). Try to get one with window cranks.

 

Maybe there should be a separate section in Barnacks Bar called "Luddites Bar" where people can wring their hands ad nauseum about all the modern things they don't like and recall happy memories of the good old days. Not limited to cameras of course. It is a state of mind that cannot deal with change. Some of us can remember when all cameras were manual. I do. But I don't pine for those days.

 

Hahah.. The constant bemoaning of folks here about features they don't like on cameras. Luddites Bar made me smile. Thank you.

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I cannot directly speak about the longevity of the M-E, but I do know that the sensor in my M9 cracked, and I have three quotes for repair, all saying 2-3 months wait for the parts. That is Leica NJ, Leica Solms, and Leica service center in HK.

 

There may be some relationship between this rumor and the lack of sensors...

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Guest borge

Guys

 

One sales person mentions this to a customer and this creates that much fuzz on the forums?

 

Seriously?

 

Sales people are usually full of shit and doesn't know what they are talking about anyway, so ignore it until a more credible person says or confirms it.

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