The various Leica "typ" designations

[adan]

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22 minutes ago, Steve Strac said:

What specifically does Typ 240 and Typ 246 mean (origin of the designation).  Does anyone actually know?

They mean "not a Typ 238 or Typ 239 or Typ 241 or Typ 244 or Typ 262."

Actually, for all we know (or don't know), the M-P variant of the M(Typ 240) was designated (for in-company purposes only) a "Typ 241" or "Typ 242". It just never leaked out. And the new M11 may be - for in-house record-keeping only - the "Typ 281" or some such.

What does "Strac" mean? 

I would assume Leica is always experimenting, and throwing together prototypes, and numbering them (for in-factory records only) in the order created. A few of them make it into production, many don't.

That only came to light because Leica decided, for some reason, to stop "public" designations of sequential models.

No more M3/2/4/5/6/7/8/9. There would just be the "M" and the "S" and the "SL" and the "TL" - for all eternity.

But that backfired, because OCD customers simply could not stand having such a generic camera designation - they had to poke and pry to find out what made their camera "different and special!" Someone leaked the secret factory designations - and there we are.

Drove Leica crazy, so now we are back to M10(-D/M/R) and M11(-?/?/?).