bcorton Posted May 30, 2014 Share #1 Posted May 30, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) . . . Leica will continue to support the CCD sensor cameras (M8, M9, M-E, MM)? I'd love an M-E, or maybe an MM, but as someone who bought a DMR not knowing Leica was about to drop the R line altogether, I worry about how long the sensors and other electronics might be available. Has Leica made any announcement in this regard, or does anyone have any inside information? I should mention that my R9/DMR is still working marvelously, so far. I just have these insecurities. Did the monetary outlay not reflect such a significant commitment, I wouldn't worry so much. Brent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 Hi bcorton, Take a look here How long do you suppose . . .. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Jeff S Posted May 30, 2014 Share #2 Posted May 30, 2014 This is what Stefan Daniel said at a Photokina interview, October, 2012…. "Question: Can we ask you for a statement on the “lifelong endurance” which is mentioned in some of the marketing materiel? Stefan Daniel: We can’t maintain this ambition. Providing a warranty or even repairs over the entire life time or even decades is a hopeless task. We aim to be able to repair our cameras at least 10 years after the last production run. That’s how we set up our stocks of replacement parts." You may be aware that the LCD screen on the M8 can no longer be replaced, and that Leica instead instituted a discounted 'upgrade' to an M9 (or perhaps other digital M) in the event of screen damage. This is in part what prompted the question to Mr. Daniel. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
friedeye Posted June 6, 2014 Share #3 Posted June 6, 2014 In addition to Jeff's reply, I would really think about your commitment to the CCD sensor. I have an M9, and will probably shoot with it until it dies, but… if I were considering buying an M-E or an MM, which means I'm not passionately committed to a color camera or a monochrome camera, and have the money for an MM, I would take a good hard look at the M 240 and CMOS, which will be supported for a long time. Ming Thein, who's camera agnostic and very demanding, wrote a blog comparing the files of the MM and B&W conversions coming from the M. He found that, while the MM files were superior, the M conversions came surprisingly close (yes, with some work). So, for a thousand dollars less that an MM, you can get a color Leica that shoots high ISO, has live view, which opens up your lens choices, is quieter, and can produce B&W files that approach the level of the MM…. and will be supported for way more than 10 years. Seems like a no brainer to me… … unless you have a real thing for CCD sensors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pragmatist Posted June 10, 2014 Share #4 Posted June 10, 2014 Interesting post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted June 11, 2014 Share #5 Posted June 11, 2014 I should mention that my R9/DMR is still working marvelously, so far. I just have these insecurities. When the Nikon F3 came out even Nikon had insecurities about the potential life of the small lcd fitted to this camera and warned that it may need to be replaced after several years use. Electronics appear to be unpredictable things and I cannot remember talking to anyone who has ever actually had this lcd replaced - though I assume some may have been. I've taken the decision simply not to worry about things like this, over which I have no control other than ensuring that I use but not abuse my equipment. I also now look on my camera bodies as having a finite life and try to save up for a replacement whilst running an existing body - when all is said and done the 'high' body cost is offset to some extent by digital convenience and zero film cost. Whilst many try do to predict the future, we actually don't know what will be in production in the years to come, but I'm quite confident that there will be a worthy and very usable successor to my M9 when it has to be replaced. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick_S Posted June 12, 2014 Share #6 Posted June 12, 2014 So, for a thousand dollars less that an MM, you can get a color Leica that shoots high ISO, has live view, which opens up your lens choices, is quieter, and can produce B&W files that approach the level of the MM…. and will be supported for way more than 10 years. ... Whether CCD or CMOS there is no guarantee that a supply of spare sensors for a particular model will be around after 10 years from the end of manufacture. I doubt very much that Leica will be building cameras then with a sensor that can be used as a drop-in replacement for current 2014 models whether M240, ME or Monochrom. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 12, 2014 Share #7 Posted June 12, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Most camera makers have contracts in place with their suppliers guaranteeing availability. Leica too. The obsolete Digilux 2 sensor (Sony) is still available as a replacement, for instance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisRose Posted June 13, 2014 Share #8 Posted June 13, 2014 For me, this was the best thing about the ME being introduced with the M240 - the sensor in my M9 will (hopefully) still be available a decade after the ME is discontinued, which hopefully will be in a few more years, rather than from when the M9 was in 2012. Right now, if I'm still using my M9 in 2024, i'll be impressed indeed, if it gets a new sensor then and lasts to 2034, I really don't think I can argue with that. I'll have got my money's worth years before. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted June 13, 2014 Share #9 Posted June 13, 2014 !!! I didn't know that is an LCD in the F3 viewfinder. Mine still works, if it is an LCD. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted June 13, 2014 Share #10 Posted June 13, 2014 Whether CCD or CMOS there is no guarantee that a supply of spare sensors for a particular model will be around after 10 years from the end of manufacture. Within ten years I think there will be another revolution in picture making in which cameras will multi-focus and a personal appliance will do the heavy lifting via a persistent wireless connection. Some of us will be amused by today's technology, if we should live so long. I'm taking the 8x10 out to the riverside to celebrate this day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted June 13, 2014 Share #11 Posted June 13, 2014 !!! I didn't know that is an LCD in the F3 viewfinder. Mine still works, if it is an LCD.. I was studying when the F3 came out and helped man the Nikon stand as a student. There was obviously great interest in the F3 and I remember the lcd being discussed and its longevity being queried. Its worth looking at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_F3 under 'construction'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted June 14, 2014 Share #12 Posted June 14, 2014 I was studying when the F3 came out and helped man the Nikon stand as a student.'. Thank you for that. I will be posting my Nikon F3/T with motor and 20mm lens on that auction site soon with a beginning price of a dollar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackstraw Posted June 15, 2014 Share #13 Posted June 15, 2014 Leica glass does not become obsolete. Spend on lenses...the computers...I mean cameras come and go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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