Year 2021 (and later) predictions

[jdlaing]

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3 minutes ago, astrostl said:

I personally love the M10 form factor and wouldn't want it any larger, but I still have hope when looking at compact FF+ IBIS developments like https://www.fujirumors.com/breaking-new-fujifilm-gfx100-with-ibis-will-be-about-as-big-as-fujifilm-gfx50s/ , https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a7c-review , etc.

A Fuji and Sony aren’t Leica bodies and vice versa. At best,  compared to Olympus, these manufacturers version of dust reduction is rudimentary. And ibis and dust reduction are two whole different things.

Edited December 30, 2020 by jdlaing

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[Kwesi]

3 minutes ago, Dennis said:

+1 
Totally agree, or almost. The ISO dial of the M10 never thoroughly convinced me. Aesthetically is beautiful, great throw and feelings. But I do work fully manual, and I change ISO when needed. When I leave the dial down, it costs me a little work with my right-hand switch ISO fast. When it's up, sooner or later, it goes down. I would love to be able to change iso w/ the dial permanently down. That would be very welcome! 

do you mean via menu or simply being able to turn the dial in the down position. Like the shutter speed dial?

[shirubadanieru]

To me the biggest improvement over the Leica M10 that could come with the M11 would be to offer the user flexibility; even looking at this forum it seems that the needs of the users are so different depending on the person / shooting style...and although I doubt this will ever happen, here’s how I see Leica being able to make a better digital camera in the areas that truly matter to the photography experience:

- Ability to select the frame lines that appear in the viewfinder (goodbye paired frame lines!!); I really want to have a clean viewfinder, and the 50/75 pair especially is just bad. It would be great to be able to go back to the good old days of the M3/M2 viewfinder 

- Similar to above, but offer the option to choose 0.58, 0.72, 0.85x viewfinders. OR make a viewfinder that’s as good as the M3 [doubt this will ever happen but ohh it would be so awesome] 

- Provide the option of choosing the design (ie a la M10-D with it’s excellent thumb grip, or just regular design) ; after I sold the M10-D I missed the thumb grip so much and wish all Leica digital cameras had one, it just makes it that much better to hold it without having to buy extra accessories

- Offer the user the option to select the sensor they want (ie 24MP Color, 40MP Color, 24 MP Monochromatic, 40MP Monochromatic) 

- Better battery and body even closer in design to the film leicas  

- Provide the option to choose the finish (BP, BC, Silver)


It would just be a wonderful purchase experience if we could select the “parts” that matter to us in the website / Leica shop and make the camera truly our own, similar to how you’d do it when let’s say you buy a Tesla for example..and then you’d receive it a month later or so. Mine would definitely be: 0.85x viewfinder, single frame lines 35/50/90, Silver finish, 24MP, M10-D Thumbs grip. : p one can only dream hehe

 

[Dennis]

Just now, Kwesi said:

simply being able to turn the dial in the down position

This.. It's kind of annoying.. But I can handle it 🙂 Because all the rest is incredible. 

[Dennis]

2 minutes ago, shirubadanieru said:

Ability to select the frame lines that appear in the viewfinder (goodbye paired frame lines!!); I really want to have a clean viewfinder, and the 50/75 pair especially is just bad. It would be great to be able to go back to the good old days of the M3/M2 viewfinder 

wow .... 

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[LBJ2]

30 minutes ago, astrostl said:

I'm not claiming that film photography is a joke, or that you were. I made the comment because you expressed a wish for something one day after the rumor was published.

BTW, thanks for posting the URL. I was not previously aware of that rumor..interesting 

[astrostl]

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34 minutes ago, jdlaing said:

A Fuji and Sony aren’t Leica bodies and vice versa.

Really going with some hard-hitting insights here! The actual point remains that IBIS systems have been continually downsized as technology improves.

34 minutes ago, jdlaing said:

At best,  compared to Olympus, these manufacturers version of dust reduction is rudimentary.

Many years of MFT shooting with many Panasonic (and Olympus) bodies yielded the same for me: zero sensor dust issues, ever. It was actually only after switching mostly to Leica M that I learned what a sensor speck looked like and how to clean a sensor. I found Olympus' IBIS superior, but dust mitigation identical.

34 minutes ago, jdlaing said:

And ibis and dust reduction are two whole different things.

The primary objective of IBIS is stabilization, but dust reduction is a material and manufacturer-noted impact. My (tiny APS-C with IBIS) Ricoh GR III has a "Dust Removal" setting in its menu to control whether or not the IBIS vibrates on startup and shutdown, and an "Execute Dust Removal" function which manually vibrates it. Given the reduced value of image stabilization at 28mm it's debated whether or not they added the feature just for dust mitigation (but it still has problems because of the closed retracting lens design and lack of weather sealing).

Edited December 30, 2020 by astrostl

[jdlaing]

Ibis and dust reduction are two different things. In the case of Olympus sswf a cover glass shakes off dust. In the case of ibis the sensor floats. To make the mechanism anywhere near that effective for a full frame Leica body would increase the size very much due to the required distance from rear element to sensor surface. 

[MrFriendly]

9 hours ago, mike3996 said:

Sorry, can't help but add to the wishlist  threads

 

Leica M-EVF is not going to happen. The reason is that no  M lens supports automatic aperture opening for focusing and then closing it for taking. It's a juggle that will feel awkward enough to scare the majority of people off of the concept.

Leica mini-SL just might happen. Approximately M sized*, with an EVF on the left. But it will feature an L mount instead of M. The same reason as for M-EVF not happening. They have to put electronic lens mount as the supported one and the adapted lenses, while they work perfectly, can be second-citizens in the sense of customer support.

Leica M11... my crystal ball is foggy on this one, hard to say anything definite about the upcoming M11. Leica evolved the M10 throughout two major improvements, first in M10P and then M10R. I think it is clear by now that they will roll out a new number only when they revisit the body design. I have to wonder what they can possibly put in M11 to reasonably sell the camera over M10R. My personal wish is they focused on improving the (still optional) EVF resolution and view delay. Battery is an easy secondary target that they can only improve upon body modifications. An IBIS on a rangefinder is a wonderful idea but I fear it's simply too wonderful to ever happen. Too much of a good thing, and all that.

Leica CL2... can wait, instead a TL3 with IBIS will come out. Still rocking that Visoflex 020. There will be no  new TL lenses announced.

 

M5-sized, I'm afraid.

My inside sources (i.e., the voices in my head) tell me that, instead of an EVF, Leica is working on an augmented OVF using transparent OLED that will show more intuitive framelines, metering information, and maybe even focus distance.

[evikne]

4 hours ago, MrFriendly said:

My inside sources (i.e., the voices in my head) tell me that, instead of an EVF, Leica is working on an augmented OVF using transparent OLED that will show more intuitive framelines, metering information, and maybe even focus distance.

I wish your sources were a little more reliable. 😄

[mike3996]

14 hours ago, astrostl said:

This doesn't make sense to me as an argument. I can and do adapt M lenses to other bodies and use their EVF perfectly well.

Some people have difficulty focusing with the lens stopped down and they need to cumbersomely open up the aperture, focus, stop down for taking.

I admit I don't have trouble that much, even using the low-rez VF2 on my MP240. But I 'm not as critical as many others are about their work.

[mike3996]

4 hours ago, MrFriendly said:

My inside sources (i.e., the voices in my head) tell me that, instead of an EVF, Leica is working on an augmented OVF using transparent OLED that will show more intuitive framelines, metering information, and maybe even focus distance.

Now this is a nice project. Freely selectable framelines I would welcome with open arms. All this augmentation has to do is to leave the original focusing patch visible. It is something I don't think can be replicated digitally without an auxiliary camera/lens on the body. No go.

[mike3996]

9 hours ago, astrostl said:

My primary interest in IBIS isn't actually for IBIS (although I like having the option) - it's high-speed sensor vibration on startup/shutdown to automatically dislodge sensor dust.

This has long been a feature on DSLR cameras before IBIS.

[mike3996]

On the subject of IBIS.

As a feature I love it on other cameras. It'll make 1/15sec casual handheld exposures  a reality and 1/4sec focused handheld exposures a usual success. A rangefinder shooter won't even notice it visually -- you work through the window which is not connected to the sensor so you get this extra stability without the usual wobbliness or artificial steadiness in the viewfinder.

BUT

I fear that practical implementation will be quite detrimental to the M essence. A moving and shifting sensor might undo the benefits of the microlens alignments and all that. The feature might introduce bulk. The feature will introduce some rattling and looseness to an otherwise "solid block of metal" feeling body. I fear that the feature starting its work at half-press of the shutter trigger will introduce some "shutter lag" to a camera that has long been known for fast reactions and short delays.

Speaking of delays, I hope M11 sees the "soft release" option again that was last seen in M9 series of cameras.

[rramesh]

My only wish for 2021 is for COVID-19 to go away, so that we can all go out and take more photos with the cameras we have. Happy New Year folks!

[erniethemilk]

6 minutes ago, rramesh said:

My only wish for 2021 is for COVID-19 to go away, so that we can all go out and take more photos with the cameras we have. Happy New Year folks!

Hear, hear! I second that. 

[willeica]

7 hours ago, astrostl said:

I'm not claiming that film photography is a joke, or that you were. I made the comment because you expressed a wish for something one day after the rumor was published.

I don’t rely on rumours. I do know a lot of young people who use film and as a collector I have a large number of film cameras already. I have also heard Dr Kaufmann and members of his staff address this issue. Leica has also just opened a vintage shop at its HQ in Wetzlar. 

William

[mmradman]

A new film camera implying increased demand is all well and good but these things don’t write images to memory card.  Would Leica proceed to market new film enlarger or at least film scanner?

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[jaapv]

13 hours ago, shirubadanieru said:

It would just be a wonderful purchase experience if we could select the “parts” that matter to us in the website / Leica shop and make the camera truly our own, similar to how you’d do it when let’s say you buy a Tesla for example..and then you’d receive it a month later or so. Mine would definitely be: 0.85x viewfinder, single frame lines 35/50/90, Silver finish, 24MP, M10-D Thumbs grip. : p one can only dream hehe

And save up A LOT of money to buy such a camera...

[jdlaing]

55 minutes ago, jaapv said:

And save up A LOT of money to buy such a camera...

How much could it possibly cost?  😃