The Leica M-D thread - merged.

[Peter L]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

If I put some black electricians tape on the LCD and the red dot of my Leica Q, would that give me a similar experience as with the

Leica M-D ?

[Belle123]

If I put some black electricians tape on the LCD and the red dot of my Leica Q, would that give me a similar experience as with the

Leica M-D ?

Good idea but the Q is heavily menu dependent......plus would have a sticky screen when done! Ha!

[AAK]

Haven't read thru this whole thread, but I sort of like the idea of the M-D but not the price.  Those of us that shot the M with film, I had two M6s over time, will likely appreciate it more.  I find the screen and menus distracting.  Just give me a camera with Iso, shutter speed, and aperture and some metering and I am good to go!  If was reasonably priced, would consider.  But no way at this price point.

 

That's why I went with the M-A. You get to choose the ISO when you load the film. The only other options are shutter speed and aperture. That's it. Life is simple. It won't become obsolete in 3 years because it became obsolete 30 years ago, no upgrade cycle to worry about. Just plain old-fashioned photography involving a camera, a lens, and me.

 

In a way, I understand the concept behind the M-D, but I just can't get excited about it, and the pricing seems completely wrong. It should be a $3500 camera and forget the brass, just use aluminum and position it as the most basic of the digital M cameras, followed by the M262 that has a screen, then the M240 with live view and video, with higher price points as more features are added.

[i-Leica]

In a way, I understand the concept behind the M-D, but I just can't get excited about it, and the pricing seems completely wrong. It should be a $3500 camera and forget the brass, just use aluminum and position it as the most basic of the digital M cameras, followed by the M262 that has a screen, then the M240 with live view and video, with higher price points as more features are added.

 

 

Exactly!!!

 

but..... I see it as M7 with no trouble about Film, scanner, developing etc.

[rivi1969]

That's why I went with the M-A. You get to choose the ISO when you load the film. The only other options are shutter speed and aperture. That's it. Life is simple. It won't become obsolete in 3 years because it became obsolete 30 years ago, no upgrade cycle to worry about. Just plain old-fashioned photography involving a camera, a lens, and me.

 

In a way, I understand the concept behind the M-D, but I just can't get excited about it, and the pricing seems completely wrong. It should be a $3500 camera and forget the brass, just use aluminum and position it as the most basic of the digital M cameras, followed by the M262 that has a screen, then the M240 with live view and video, with higher price points as more features are added.

 

 

That makes complete sense from a product stand point that this should have been the "lower cost" option however I presume they bet for the niche factor and aimed to a purist consumer. Is not the same: "Is cheaper because there is no screen" than ""is more expensive because we remove it". I wonder in the used market which one will reach the $3000-3500 mark first, the M-D or the M262.

[rivi1969]

The perfect match for the M-D would be some special SD cards that only stored 36 pictures.

Edited April 29, 2016 by rivi1969

[pop]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The perfect match for the M-D would be some special SD cards that only stored 36 pictures.

A 1GB card would come pretty close. You can fill the difference with some invisible files.

[rivi1969]

A 1GB card would come pretty close. You can fill the difference with some invisible files.

 

Pop, I think there are some old 256mb or 512mb cards? Those would do the trick too. Happy weekend!

[AAK]

The perfect match for the M-D would be some special SD cards that only stored 36 pictures.

 

Lol! And maybe some cards would be for B&W, others for color. Maybe even a Kodachrome versioned SD card. Then  one could enjoy even more what the Leica marketing people refer to as "an homage to the experience of capturing pictures on film".

Edited April 29, 2016 by AAK

[AAK]

 

 

but..... I see [the M-D] as M7 with no trouble about Film, scanner, developing etc.

 

Yes, I think of it in the same way. A bit like trying to get the experience of flying a Cessna by taking the hydraulics out of an Airbus.

[Guest]

If the new M-D is same size as M (type 262) less LCD screen, that is very nice indeed.

Here are the dimensions of some of my Ms.

 

From base of M6, Monochrom 1 and M (type 262)

 

M6 MM M262 base.jpg

 

From above of Monochrom, M-A,

M6, M(type 262)

 

4M dessus 800.jpg

 

At the end...

Facing the four, less difference than expected

 

4M face 800.jpg

 

Arnaud

 

 

Off subject of camera sizing but I couldn't help noticing that you do the same with your various M's as I do regarding putting a piece of coloured tape on the shutter speed dial to clearly mark the AUTO setting. I've never figured out why Leica engraves / colours that setting in a dull RED. It's all but invisible in dim lighting, and really hard to read with +50 year old eyesight. I use a yellow camera tape "arrow" to highlight AUTO on my M's. Mentioned this to Solms a number of times, but no reaction or answer.

[microview]

No menu, so no manual setting for non-6-bit-coded lenses? No option for in-camera card formatting? No chance of seeing pictures until you get home and use card reader  – unless of course you have taken a laptop out with you. And a lot more expensive than the 262, which also has a quiet shutter. Chacun a son gout then, but I really don't see the attraction, especially if it's as heavy as the 240.

Edited April 29, 2016 by microview

[bsphotomac]

I think I will order one. I tried going back to a dslr (nikon d800e) and it just doesn't feel right. When I use my MM 1 and M-E I just love the simple cameras. The new MD may work for me even better. I don't use the lcd on either and I still like film cameras. 

[dunhoy]

The more I think about this the more I see it as a marketing and bean counter driven excuse to milk fan boys with deep pockets - by definition the camera is cheaper to produce than the M240 yet it is priced to maximise profit. This camera should be half the price they are looking for for it - but tell that to bean counters and marketing wonks! Were it half the price I would order but it isn't so I will not,

[Stealth3kpl]

I would be too... 0.6mm is 0.0236"!!!!!!!

 

To be honest Jaap... there is so much misinformation or just plain bias attached to these dimensions that I have just given up. This isn't anything to do with fact, this is all emotional nonsense. 

 

The digital M's are a little deeper than the film M's, but everything else is pretty similar and the M digitals are to all intents and purposes the same size... The additional width of the 240 was in one area only, the thumbwheel and rest, which is considerably smaller than a Thumbs up anyway... additional weight is the battery, which has a much better capacity and I have never felt the need to carry a spare and don't even take my charger when I'm away for a couple of days... so I could argue its a lighter package altogether...

 

I'm not particularly bothered about people complaining about 'chimping' (although I shot a lot of film over the years, some of it for newspapers, magazines and books and I would love to have been able to 'chimp' in those days... Nothing worse than getting rolls developed and realised you had cocked up!).

 

I suppose that for some people the equipment and the process is more important... and for many of them, buying into Leica is an emotional thing, for others, its the results. 

 

Its the same in traditional angling.

 

I fish Redmire Pool quite regularly. I am fortunate enough to know the 'right people' and therefore I have more opportunities than most... I often meet anglers who are so consumed by the history of the place that they forget to actually 'angle'. I know one guy who has the most beautiful collection of traditional cane rods and antique reels and knows the history of Redmire better than anyone... But in all the years I have fished there, he has never caught anything. Why? Because he limits himself with his gear and his angling methods.

 

I catch regularly and I have probably had more 20's from Redmire than anyone over the past ten years, but although I also have a 1957 cane rod and a 1932 original Aerial reel, I fish with my carbon rods and bait runners, using the very latest techniques.

 

That in itself wouldn't actually give me an edge though... what I do have is experience and what is known as 'watercraft'... I know where and when the fish are feeding (you can read the water) and I fish then...

 

It seems there are photographers and there are traditionalists in the world of Leica, too.

 

And of course there are some who are a a mix of both photographers and traditionalists (but they don't seem to get so hung up about 'size' or 'chimping' or film v digital...).

 

Nothing wrong with either position of course, my friend who fishes traditionally at Redmire enjoys his week there every bit as much as I do, just as I am sure collectors and users of traditional Leica cameras enjoy their cameras...

 

So although this may appear to be a patronising response, it REALLY isn't meant to be... you can put it down to my inadequate use of English early in the day... but I think that no matter how many times we explain, we are never going to convince the traditionalists that all digital Leica M's are pretty much the same size. 

 

I would like to think that for me, its the results and, if I can enjoy the process, then fab... 

 

Would I worry about a camera that was 0.023" or 0.6mm thicker?

 

I wouldn't even notice it... nor would most others, either. 

 

I had a virus recently, and whilst convalescing took the opportunity to watch some videos of my childhood hero Chris Yates in that wonderful series "A Passion For Angling" and other youtube uploads from that era. They don't make them like that anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdKtDCFC0rk

Pete

[FrozenInTime]

The perfect match for the M-D would be some special SD cards that only stored 36 pictures.

 

Sandisk 1GB WORM SD:

 

https://www.sandisk.com/about/media-center/press-releases/2010/2010-06-23-sandisk%E2%80%99s-write-once-read-many-%E2%80%9Cworm%E2%80%9D-sd-card-stores-images-for-up-to-100-years

[pop]

....- by definition the camera is cheaper to produce than the M240 yet it is priced to maximise profit. ...

Which definition do you apply here?

 

I think that this post sums it up quite well: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/259865-the-leica-m-d-thread-merged/page-17?p=3035412&do=findComment&comment=3035412

[Peter H]

Off subject of camera sizing but I couldn't help noticing that you do the same with your various M's as I do regarding putting a piece of coloured tape on the shutter speed dial to clearly mark the AUTO setting. I've never figured out why Leica engraves / colours that setting in a dull RED. It's all but invisible in dim lighting, and really hard to read with +50 year old eyesight. I use a yellow camera tape "arrow" to highlight AUTO on my M's. Mentioned this to Solms a number of times, but no reaction or answer.

 

 

The "A" setting on the shutter speed dial has a far deeper detent than the other settings and I can set set it by feel without seeing it at all or even removing it from my eye. Have you tried that?

[Guest]

A new R8 or R9 with a tiny (B&W) video camera inside the prism of its SLR viewfinder, also having enough room in its huge body for WiFi,

that would be 2016 imo the best of both worlds.

 

Whereas this one here gives up the most noteworthy feature of digital photography - instant control.

 

+ not really consequent: it should have built-in storage for 36 DNGs, a mini-USB plug and no card slot.

 

A monochrome version

and then a version with manual shutter winding

and later no built-in exposure meter

to follow in the next years.

 

Of cause for increasing prices.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[microview]

You can learn more about the M-D now the manual is available for download. Most of what you saw on the back screen now appears in the viewfinder, eg setting date/time, delayed exposures, firmware changes (possible 15min upload timing is mentioned   ).