The New LEICA M-P: Discreet, Faster, Harder

[MRJohn]

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I almost fell into the trap yesterday. My dealer received his first model and I could have traded my M240. I was tempted. But a 20% plus VAT depreciation was really not worth it. I had a beautiful M9P before and taped the Leica signature on the top, so whether an M240 or an M240P, it would have some tape on it to be really discreet. The gorilla screen on my cam is just fine, and the buffer was only once or twice an "issue". If I was buying new, well worth it. But as a trade-up for me too expensive. And yes, the screw seems ugly. So I am out on this one.

[lanetomlane]

I bought one of those Japanese Silky straps in red so it would match the red dot on my M.

 

If I bought the new M-P does anyone know if Leica would put a red dot on it to match the strap?

 

Cheers, Tom

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[Steve Fines]

Dear Leica,

 

Please read the last 11 pages.

 

This update didn't cut it.

 

I've still got my favorite Leica glass, but I didn't buy a 240 because it was years behind the competition. I'm not buying a 240 with a built in screen protector because it is years behind the competition.

 

Hope you can catch up.

[marknorton]

Pardon me while I yawn. Let's be clear that this is mostly a cosmetic makeover in the same way the M9-P was for the M9.

 

The memory buffer increase - using double density parts or a couple of extra chips - is completely irrelevant. How many photographers want to shoot pictures so quickly that they run out of memory on the M Typ 240? If I want such speed, I'll use my Nikon D4s which leaves any Leica far behind in the speed stakes.

 

Besides, providing a bigger buffer is really an admission that the Maestro chip set is not fast enough. It would have been far better to upgrade to a faster generation.

 

The frame lever was missed out for who knows what reason and they've put it back in, a few euros of parts. The gorilla glass in the M Typ 240 is a big improvement on the polycarbonate effort in the M9 so the upgrade to sapphire is a smaller incremental change in the M-P than it was in the M9-P.

 

And then there's that screw. The red dot was bigger to allow access to the new vertical alignment adjuster and so the screw will be too and it doesn't look great. By Leica's own admission, people don't like their company logo. Maybe it's time to change it?

 

It will be interesting to see what else, if anything, is announced for the M. Where's the updated EVF, where are the vario lenses and so on. I fear that the M will become marginalised over time through lack of enhancement. I think I'm going to be more excited by September's other announcement from Apple. At least they understand the idea of meaningful evolution.

[Ecaton]

I hang on to my trusty M9 & added a USD 2.5k Sony A7s. The latter has an EVF which works, has a completely silent shutter, performs well with wide and focus shifting M lenses, is useful for long lenses and its outstanding high iso performance is not a disadvantage. The former has a CCD sensor, the one which renders in a unique way.

[marknorton]

It's worth also saying that it's very unlikely there will be an upgrade programme because of that memory upgrade. The most likely implementation is that they are using double density parts and it would not be economically feasible to upgrade old cameras.

 

Moreover, it may well be that new M Typ 240 production ships with the new parts so that they continue to have just one DSP board for both cameras and for new firmware to restrict access to the higher capacity in the base M even though it's there.

[rramesh]

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I think that the real reason that the frame lever is back in the M, is that the new ME will have the body of the M with weatherproof and with CCD. The frame level is a must have for the ME and even the M without LCD.

[CheshireCat]

Leica M-Premium: how to get $1000 more from customers with $20 increased production cost and zero innovation.

 

Meh.

[NB23]

All I see is a colossal effort in marketing to make us believe that the M8 is a dinosaur, that the M9 is obsolete and that the M10 (you won't see me fall for the "typ" appellation Ballsheet) is close to being obsolete.

 

The truth is that the M8 is still a good camera.

[NB23]

If I am not mistaken, this new silly M-P is indeed the M10.2

[CheshireCat]

The truth is that the M8 is still a good camera.

 

Obsolete, but still good

[mjh]

I think that the real reason that the frame lever is back in the M, is that the new ME will have the body of the M with weatherproof and with CCD.

The only M-E with a CCD is the current one. Any new M-E would be CMOS-based, of course (but it won’t be introduced any time soon).

[pop]

If I am not mistaken, this new silly M-P is indeed the M10.2

 

We would not greatly mind if you chose to call it the M23. However, you'd be the only one who knew what you were talking about.

 

That's the main point of naming models, isn't it?

[rafikiphoto]

Out of curiosity I asked Leica CS if there might be some sort of factory upgrade from a 240 to an M-P in the near future. I just received this reply:

 

Thank you for your inquiry about the upgrade of your Leica M to the Leica M-P.

I´m sorry to have to inform you that so far an upgrade is not being offered. It might be that we can offer some kind of upgrade in Spring 2015 but no sooner.

Please send your inquiry once again in Spring.

[jaapv]

I think that the real reason that the frame lever is back in the M, is that the new ME will have the body of the M with weatherproof and with CCD. The frame level is a must have for the ME and even the M without LCD.

Rather unlikely as the design of the internals of the body must be in keeping with the hardware that is inside.

The outside might look the same, the inside would be different.

[mjh]

The frame level is a must have for the ME and even the M without LCD.

While it is quite possible that all new models will have a frame selector lever, I see no reason why any M would have to – the current M-E does very well without that lever.

[rob_w]

I would just like to have a single frame line per lens instead of the current dual setup. Why is that so hard now that the frame lines are electronic anyway?

[jaapv]

Because they are not electronic, perhaps?

The only difference is LED lighting instead of the window.

[jto555]

My M240 is over in Germany getting a new flexiboard so I thought I would see if they could upgrade the buffer on the camera while it was there. The worst they could do was say no. And they said no... Oh well.

 

I am sure that while the board is been replaced it would be an easy upgrade, but to offer that upgrade to users now might cannibalise sales of the new M P.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[mjh]

Why is that so hard now that the frame lines are electronic anyway?

Ah, the electronic frame lines myth again … How many times does it need to get busted? There are no electronic frame lines in the M or M-P (Typ 240).