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M-D (Type 262) production numbers?


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On 7/27/2021 at 2:54 AM, goldenbear said:

My s/h, mint and fully boxed 4987212 (earlier referenced from Fred Miranda poaching) arrived to its new home in California today. Fun days ahead. 

Have a great time with it and post some of the results if you feel like it!

P.

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On 7/25/2021 at 11:25 PM, easy_action said:

Just spotted another M-D (5150151) in this video reviewing the Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 Planar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKUzmFo9kxs

The serial number is visible at around 1:15

Thanks @easy_action , well spotted! I have added this one to the list which now has 88 M-Ds on it.

Any other sightings of M-D serial numbers and birth dates always welcome ...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello all,

My M-D is the camera that made me forget my Leica MP (and film cameras)- I am not yet sure it's a good thing 😀😀😀. It is like the MP with a digital sensor.

Anyway, it S/N is 49829xx and I've purchased it two years ago from Leica Store Firenze. It has worked flawlessly, and I added this year a second battery so that I can go on longer trips without my charger. 

Recently, I've spent 5 days trekking Mount Athos in Greece with it, a Summicron Rigid and a Summicron 35 "8 elements". I loved the low-contrast, high-res pictures that these lenses deliver so much that I've purchased another set of these lenses .....🙄🙄🙄. Anyway, for those interested, here is my Reportage (in the French speaking Leica forum): Mount Athos Trek

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Thanks for posting this link, Horosu; superb.

And I agree with all those who replied that the commentary and descriptions were as good as are the photographs. Really lovely, fascinating set of images. Congratulations and thanks again!

Philip.

Edited by pippy
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Thank you so much for your kind words, Philip! 

33 minutes ago, pippy said:

Thanks for posting this link, Horosu; superb.

And I agree with all those who replied that the commentary and descriptions were as good as are the photographs. Really lovely, fascinating set of images. Congratulations and thanks again!

Philip.

 

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On 7/28/2021 at 2:19 PM, pippy said:

Have a great time with it and post some of the results if you feel like it!

P.

Here’s a recent shot with the 50 Elmar-M. 

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56 minutes ago, bcapphoto said:

Super interesting! What does that mean - so far - in terms of numbers?

For certain? Absolutely no idea!

Leica are reticent about releasing actual production figures. There has, however, been some digging hereabouts to try to get a reasonably accurate picture (if you'll pardon the pun)...

From serial numbers either posted or noted so far the M-D seems(*) to have been made and numbered in fifteen distinct batches each numbering 100 bodies some of which run / follow-on sequentially. There is a list of 14 confirmed batches noted in post #55 and one further batch added in post #79 in this thread. From this data if we assume (bearing in mind Assumption is frequently the Mother of the Cock-Up) that each batch did number 100 units and further assume that no further batches exist then full M-D Typ-262 production would total 1,500 bodies.

To put this total into some sort of perspective;

Let us consider the production-numbers of the M9 and M9-P - but not including the M9 Monochrom - over its four-year lifespan from 2009 to 2012 as listed by l-camera-forum/leica-wiki. They list eight sub-groupings according to model-type and colour. Of these eight groups five are 'Unknown'. Of the other five the total works out at 178,845 bodies. It is difficult to speculate with any accuracy on the likely numbers for the three 'missing' groups but it is not unreasonable to suspect that the final tally could be somewhere between 200- to 250,000 units.

Even if we only compare the known M9 production figure it is easy to see why the M-D Typ-262 would have been seen as a tiny niche-within-a-niche product.

Philip.

(*) Of course it is very possible that there does/do exist 'new-to-we-here' batches which would further add to this total. The numbers quoted here are simply the best guess as can be made with what we know at this moment.

Edited by pippy
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2 hours ago, pippy said:

For certain? Absolutely no idea!

Leica are reticent about releasing actual production figures. There has, however, been some digging hereabouts to try to get a reasonably accurate picture (if you'll pardon the pun)...

From serial numbers either posted or noted so far the M-D seems(*) to have been made and numbered in fifteen distinct batches each numbering 100 bodies some of which run / follow-on sequentially. There is a list of 14 confirmed batches noted in post #55 and one further batch added in post #79 in this thread. From this data if we assume (bearing in mind Assumption is frequently the Mother of the Cock-Up) that each batch did number 100 units and further assume that no further batches exist then full M-D Typ-262 production would total 1,500 bodies.

To put this total into some sort of perspective;

Let us consider the production-numbers of the M9 and M9-P - but not including the M9 Monochrom - over its four-year lifespan from 2009 to 2012 as listed by l-camera-forum/leica-wiki. They list eight sub-groupings according to model-type and colour. Of these eight groups five are 'Unknown'. Of the other five the total works out at 178,845 bodies. It is difficult to speculate with any accuracy on the likely numbers for the three 'missing' groups but it is not unreasonable to suspect that the final tally could be somewhere between 200- to 250,000 units.

Even if we only compare the known M9 production figure it is easy to see why the M-D Typ-262 would have been seen as a tiny niche-within-a-niche product.

Philip.

(*) Of course it is very possible that there does/do exist 'new-to-we-here' batches which would further add to this total. The numbers quoted here are simply the best guess as can be made with what we know at this moment.

Wow - that is actually unbelievably fascinating, and I LOVE that you have done this research and analysis on this. Thank you so much! 

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1 hour ago, bcapphoto said:

Wow - that is actually unbelievably fascinating, and I LOVE that you have done this research and analysis on this. Thank you so much! 

Thanks, Bcap, but I'm very aware that I am just one of the many folks here to have added stuff to the M-D knowledge-pool.

It is clearly quite a fascinating concept in this Digital-era; a camera body which only lets the user change ISO and shutter-speed(*). I seriously doubt we shall see its type again. Obviously the M10-D retreated somewhat from the simplicity of the M-D and if rumours are to be believed the chances of there being an M11-D are nil.

Here in the UK the fact that so very few come on to the used market suggests those who have kept theirs this long are rather keen to hang on to them.

Philip.

* self-timer & drive-mode apart.

EDIT : I've just realised that there is a typo in post #115 where it should read; "Of these eight groups three are unknown" and not 'five' as written. Apologies for any confusion!

Edited by pippy
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M-D in action in downtown Sac today. 👍🏼

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26 minutes ago, goldenbear said:

M-D in action in downtown Sac today. 👍🏼

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Nice action POV shot, thanks for sharing. BTW, ISO800? In sunny California? I tend to stick to ISO200 unless I'm in dark woods on a grey English day, myself ... do you not find noise issues?

Edited by Datsch
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