Survey: Leica M EV1 – Future or mistake?

[jaapv]

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1 hour ago, 3D-Kraft.com said:

The "experience" of consciously being held back by a "beautiful" camera and thus limiting oneself to the areas it can cover, in my view, won't be enough to attract the next generations.

Well, it was enough to attract multiple previous generations.  I wonder where this idea that the present and future generations are essentially different from us comes from? Surely from old fogies like us that are overawed by technology? 

[charlesphoto99]

2 hours ago, jonoslack said:

You are still assuming that people will buy this camera on the basis of its technical prowess (or not as it hasn’t much-I don’t disagree). 
 

The technical prowess that is missing would actually be technical prowess in pursuit of simplicity. In other words, users wanted that prowess to make the M as easy to use as a rangefinder, and they didn't come up with it. Not all tech is in order to make things more complex - in the case of Leica, by not adding it, they unfortunately did just that. And I would love to try the camera for myself to cement these opinions in experience - unfortunately 25% of their customer base is currently excluded from doing so. 

As far as 'snapshot' cameras - note that Magnum photographer Alex Majoli, who is also an M shooter, would instead use a half dozen or so Olympus p&s in Iraq. That way he could cycle through them and even just throw them away if they broke. No room for a three month trip back to Wetzlar in those types of situations. And the pics he took with them were stunning and unique. 

[willeica]

3 hours ago, jonoslack said:

You are still assuming that people will buy this camera on the basis of its technical prowess (or not as it hasn’t much-I don’t disagree). 
I’m maintaining that nobody ever bought a Leica camera on the basis of its technical prowess (at least since 1960 - (how could they have done). 
So that saying this camera is doomed for its lack of technical prowess is missing the point!

The M EV1 has lots going for it: it has a fantastic interface, great image quality, a beautiful body and a wonderful selection of lenses for which it is specifically designed. There is all that Leica history, It’s lovely to shoot with and it makes a great consistent companion for an M11. 
 

Those are the reasons people will buy it! 
I would suggest that those who are saying they won’t buy it because of its technical shortcomings wouldn’t have bought it anyway (because Sony make smaller, cheaper more technically advanced bodies)

I should have said that it is a lovely camera to hold and use. The net point revolves around the focus/viewfinder and which type any user feels more comfortable with. In my own case I have had a number of eye operations over the past 20 years, but I still find an optical rangefinder quicker and more accurate than an EVF. My eye surgeon tells me that my eyes are excellent, but I don't fully agree with him. As I get older I may change my view as regards the use of an EVF. I take far less photos of moving objects than I used to at one time.

 

1 hour ago, FrozenInTime said:

I've been thinking about the manual focus, moving object tracking problem that experienced when switching from a rangefinder to an EVF system.

 

God bless your eye sight and manual dexterity. There was a time when I could easily focus manually on moving objects, but, alas, I can do this no more. The biggest issue with this is to develop the 'muscle memory' to do this without a split image. I am sure that it is possible to do this, cue the Leica Akademie!

William 

[pgk]

4 hours ago, jonoslack said:

I’m maintaining that nobody ever bought a Leica camera on the basis of its technical prowess (at least since 1960 - (how could they have done).

When there was only one rangefinder in town its a fair, but misleading, point. And fundamentally its still the current situation.

I had an SL which at the time had posibly the 'best' viefinder currently available. Technical prowess? Perhaps, but ultimately I went back to the Sony A7 series which I personally pefer, appalling interface and all!

[3D-Kraft.com]

vor 3 Stunden schrieb Steve Ash:

The issue is that you tend to ignore that the vast majority of actual Leica M users has absolutely no interest in the Leica M becoming like the multiple system you have in mind. So go out shooting with this wonderful multiple systems and enjoy life instead of bothering about something that will never exist.

Thanks, I regularly go out for photography. So spare me such silly suggestions and try to differentiate between the past and the future.

vor 2 Stunden schrieb jaapv:

Well, it was enough to attract multiple previous generations.  I wonder where this idea that the present and future generations are essentially different from us comes from? Surely from old fogies like us that are overawed by technology? 

Multiple generations also have used film, yet it's now obsolete, and the companies that clung to it alone are history. Leica thankfully managed to turn things around somewhat, but they too were on the brink of collapse until someone took decisive action. There is no guarantee that this will not happen again if one resists change too much.

[jaapv]

Film is only obsolete to those who prefer digital. A different medium. The reason that Leica collapsed was the insane amount spent on R&D for the R8 and R9. 

[3D-Kraft.com]

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vor 1 Minute schrieb jaapv:

Film is only obsolete to those who prefer digital. A different medium. 

Can you tell me, which company, that stick to film only, survived?

[jaapv]

Irrelevant arm-chair analysis. 

[beewee]

6 minutes ago, 3D-Kraft.com said:

Can you tell me, which company, that stick to film only, survived?

Fujifilm’s instax camera and film business brings in more revenue than the entire digital camera and lens business.

[FrozenInTime]

1 hour ago, willeica said:

I should have said that it is a lovely camera to hold and use. The net point revolves around the focus/viewfinder and which type any user feels more comfortable with. In my own case I have had a number of eye operations over the past 20 years, but I still find an optical rangefinder quicker and more accurate than an EVF. My eye surgeon tells me that my eyes are excellent, but I don't fully agree with him. As I get older I may change my view as regards the use of an EVF. I take far less photos of moving objects than I used to at one time.

 

God bless your eye sight and manual dexterity. There was a time when I could easily focus manually on moving objects, but, alas, I can do this no more. The biggest issue with this is to develop the 'muscle memory' to do this without a split image. I am sure that it is possible to do this, cue the Leica Akademie!

William 

This is where replacing visual acuity with graphics of sliding pointers would win out. The moving sliders display would also work when the focus was preset, and the camera is moved to track the distance to the subject 

[charlesphoto99]

Speaking of the future - how about a 220 euro film wallet that holds two rolls, three memory cards and a spare battery (which hybrid M shoots both SD cards and film? Missed that one) or a 150 euro keychain or a 220 euro leather pad to put your keys on the desk (a charity shop bowl works just fine for me, thank you)?  

Leica are not a serious company anymore. By any means. I guess that's perhaps why expectations were so low for the EV1 - and Leica lived up to it. 

https://leicarumors.com/2025/10/31/new-leica-small-leather-goods-announced.aspx/#more-106037

[3D-Kraft.com]

vor 40 Minuten schrieb beewee:

Fujifilm’s instax camera and film business brings in more revenue than the entire digital camera and lens business.

Thanks, but my question asked something different. Imaging (this includes Instax/film/paper as well as digital imaging) makes ≈ 17% of the total revenues of Fujifilm.

Edited 17 hours ago by 3D-Kraft.com

[Olaf_ZG]

8 hours ago, 3D-Kraft.com said:

 

On the contrary: I consider feedback from "hands-on" users of the M EV1, who otherwise only move within the Leica bubble, to be less meaningful than feedback from users who are active in multiple systems and therefore have the corresponding comparison opportunities - especially when we talk about the question "Future or mistake" (which is the topic of this thread).

Even feedback from people not buying could be useful, it depends just how open one is too listen to its customers.

[105012]

7 hours ago, 3D-Kraft.com said:

Can you tell me, which company, that stick to film only, survived?

A company which stuck to film only and survived:
https://www.harmantechnology.com

[pgk]

10 hours ago, 105012 said:

A company which stuck to film only and survived:
https://www.harmantechnology.com

Harman, via Ilford processing, offer develop and scan. The digital side of things has impinged everywhere.

[Daniel kk]

High eye-point EVF would be welcomed by eldly users with glasses.

[SrMi]

12 minutes ago, Daniel kk said:

High eye-point EVF would be welcomed by eldly users with glasses.

With my glasses I cannot see the 28mm lines and 35mm is the widest lens I can frame with the rangefinder. I have no issues with framing on M-EV1.

[jonoslack]

12 minutes ago, Daniel kk said:

High eye-point EVF would be welcomed by eldly users with glasses.

I agree. The SL EVF is better on that basis but I think it has to be bigger for this