Why would anyone want a Leica with no screen?

[parasko]

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I don't get it! Already 5 pages of comments in this thread for a camera that none of us will ever afford! Didn't Leica just make this camera for Seal?

Seal, can you please buy me one too!

[MarkP]

If this is what Leica charges for removing a number of features and the screen, imagine what they'll charge for also removing colour with a M60 Monochrom

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[Paul J]

Gutsy? They took an off the shelf M, removed parts, gave Audi a little free advertising to create the shell, then with a straight face, added a few thousand dollars to the price, called it a special edition and issued a press release.

 

Virtually no risk for Leica on this one.

 

I don't have an issue with it, good for them. But what I would have liked to see if they were going to do this is to make it $1,000-$2,000 less than the M. It would at least make me think about getting one instead of just ignoring or shutting off my LCD.

 

Creating something like this from an original design may seem simple but it is far from it.

 

While I agree it's not quite as gutsy as a mass produced camera that doesn't shoot colour, I still think it's a big move taking away a component that is considered a convention and will be mostly scoffed at by the brand detractors. It's branding at it's very best too and if that's all they expect from it then it will give them great milage. It says a lot about what they are trying to create.

 

As for what you are asking for, I wouldn't discount that entirely. Though a new product like that takes design, logistics, tooling up to mass produce, marketing etc. It's not something that occurs quickly and easily without testing waters.

[plasticman]

It's not often I'm tempted by a digital camera these days, but if they were to release this as a standard model, dispense with the 'special' covering and styling, and price it - well I was going to write 'realistically', but that boat sailed long ago - if they priced it within reach of the ordinarily affluent middle class, then I'd be seriously interested.

 

(oh and PS: if they cut out movie mode too - or was that just a joke?)

[Nick_S]

I'm in the camp that says the M60 seems like a camera that is not designed to be actually used. The lack of strap lugs means that the half case is required to attach a strap. Any camera that comes with its own Leica printed white cotton gloves suggests it is for collecting and rather than photography.

 

On the other hand, hopefully some of the design features will make it into future Leica cameras. The rectangular cover for the vertical rangefinder adjustment is an improvement over the "wood-screw" of the M-P. Perhaps they can re-introduce the stepped shoulder of the M9 family while doing the revisions for next iteration of M camera.

 

Nick

[rosuna]

The M60 is beautiful, and it would be wonderful using it.

 

Leica should include a battery/frame indicator (like that of the M8) and a button for formatting in the next monochrome edition next year.

[Peter H]

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Creating something like this from an original design may seem simple but it is far from it.

 

While I agree it's not quite as gutsy as a mass produced camera that doesn't shoot colour, I still think it's a big move taking away a component that is considered a convention and will be mostly scoffed at by the brand detractors. It's branding at it's very best too and if that's all they expect from it then it will give them great milage. It says a lot about what they are trying to create.

 

As for what you are asking for, I wouldn't discount that entirely. Though a new product like that takes design, logistics, tooling up to mass produce, marketing etc. It's not something that occurs quickly and easily without testing waters.

 

I think it's unfortunate. I would love to see them do a genuinely stripped-down and affordable M variant if it were possible. But this is a retrogressive and vastly exclusive toy which, whilst having a place in the market, is not something I can feel good about.

[jamriman]

Would've been cooler with a shutter cock lever. Oh well, can't afford it anyhow.

[colonel]

Creating something like this from an original design may seem simple but it is far from it.

 

While I agree it's not quite as gutsy as a mass produced camera that doesn't shoot colour, I still think it's a big move taking away a component that is considered a convention and will be mostly scoffed at by the brand detractors. It's branding at it's very best too and if that's all they expect from it then it will give them great milage. It says a lot about what they are trying to create.

 

As for what you are asking for, I wouldn't discount that entirely. Though a new product like that takes design, logistics, tooling up to mass produce, marketing etc. It's not something that occurs quickly and easily without testing waters.

 

 

I agree

 

Maybe Leica is testing the waters with a sexual edition

 

They did it with the M9 Titanium, all of whose cool features plus a whole bunch more turned up in the M240 at an inflation adjusted lower price then the original M9 (at least in the UK)

 

Note: I decided not to correct my iphone typing correction above

Edited September 16, 2014 by colonel

[pico]

Would've been cooler with a shutter cock lever.

 

Ahha! I see an opportunity for a retro add-on! A Leicavit in which the lever activates a generator to charge the camera like those windup survival radios.

 

It could be called The Leica EMP.

[coz]

Why is that video button there?

[mfunnell]

I really don't see what the problem is here.

 

The vocal minority who have self-identified as so weak-minded as to be incapable of not looking at a screen they profess to hate and so incapable as to be unable to tape over that screen have now been given what they asked for. At a price both predicitble and predicted. What's not to like?

 

...Mike

Edited September 16, 2014 by mfunnell

[jhluxton]

This camera reminds me in some ways of the first digital camera I ever used exactly 20 years ago. That had no screen.

 

The school where I work decided to buy the then new Apple Quicktake 100. It cost £550. It took around 8 low quality images on the built in only memory. It had an optical view finder, no screen and just a liquid crystal exposure counter.

 

The advertising at the time claimed that the inbuilt automatic exposure would provide perfect pictures every time! :-))

 

However, reality turned out to be rather different.

 

I borrowed the camera the first weekend the school had it and returned it disappointed, but glad I had not spent such a silly amount on a very poor camera.

 

I never touched another digital camera until I spotted the Leica badged Fuji Digilux around 6 years later and finally thought that this was something I could use as it had a screen and offered something film cameras did not offer, though image quality didn't match the G series Contax I was using at the time.

 

The whole appeal of digital cameras is that one can check for accurate exposure, I can't see why Leica think that some might be attracted to the camera due to the lack of distraction offered by a screen.

 

Perhaps there might have been some attraction if the price had been considerably less than the M with screen but to pay more for less makes me think that apart from Leica collectors who must have every model and can afford to do so I just can't really see who it would appeal to.

 

John

[colonel]

The first digital camera I had was a Sony Mavica FD5-MVC which took 3.5 inch floppies and the resolution was 640x480. A cracking camera.

 

Oh and it had a screen!

 

Nice to see Sony still support it:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=MVCFD5&LOC=3&session_id=aad64155b64bbd9fda6d817e790e90fc#/howtoTab

Edited September 16, 2014 by colonel

[menos I M6]

Very, very nice! Way to go!

 

Now please make this a regular production version with:

 

- black paint finish option

- vulcanite style leatherette

- bring back the M8 style battery meter/ frame counter window

- give me a frame preview lever

- make the shutter speed dial not rotate infinitely

- make it no more costly as the last digital M I bought

 

… and I place an order.

[Nick_S]

The first digital camera I had was a Sony Mavica FD5-MVC which took 3.5 inch floppies and the resolution was 640x480. A cracking camera.

...

Nice to see Sony still support it:

Sony eSupport - MVC-FD5 - Support

Thanks, reading the downloadable manual there was a trip into the past -- with a 2.5 inch screen still found in the present M9 family of cameras... (Okay, with some more dots)

 

Nick

[Peter H]

Very, very nice! Way to go!

 

Now please make this a regular production version with:

 

- black paint finish option

- vulcanite style leatherette

- bring back the M8 style battery meter/ frame counter window

- give me a frame preview lever

- make the shutter speed dial not rotate infinitely

- make it no more costly as the last digital M I bought

 

… and I place an order.

 

Me too.

 

If they add a screen on the back so that i can use it to its potential when I wish to.

[250swb]

It is nothing more than a toy for photographers who like to play at photography, so dim they forget they can buy a film camera that does the same job, and with a heck of a lot more kudos, but some skill really is required for that so it probably wouldn't appeal to them.

 

Steve

[jto555]

If you are real good you can look at bystanders' iris diameter to determine exposure.

.

 

 

But would they be seeing at the same ISO as me???

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Hallo,

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[jto555]

I think the M60 is a wonderful camera. If only it had a rear screen...

 

I have to say, I thought the Monochrom would fall flat on its face as I expect this camera will too. So what do I know? It will sell a million.

Edited September 16, 2014 by jto555