Iron Flatline Posted September 10, 2008 Share #1 Posted September 10, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) So, with all the info that is now coming to the surface, do we have a sense of what Leica's new Flagship product will be? An improved M8? A new Noctilux? The S2? ...and would that be a different name for the R10, or is the S2 the anticipated venture into Medium Format photography? What might we learn on September 22? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 Hi Iron Flatline, Take a look here What will be Leica's new Flagship product?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
bill Posted September 10, 2008 Share #2 Posted September 10, 2008 I'm hoping for a new and improved ballhead for the table top tripod. Then I think we should have a new sub-forum for it to save the main forums being swamped with speculation, rumours and images. The new product will lead normally sane people to behave with intolerant, messianic zeal, forgetting that any other Leica product exists, and ultimately insisting that anyone who doesn't own the new ballhead should be banned from posting. The rest of the forum will be a haven of logic, taste, good sense and courtesy. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted September 10, 2008 Share #3 Posted September 10, 2008 What's wrong with the ball-head, I find it works quite well! Beautifully made too... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DuquesneG Posted September 10, 2008 Share #4 Posted September 10, 2008 Yes but remember Leica says you can't put the M8 on it vertically, so we need an improved ballhead with a side extension conforming to the rounded end of the M8, sort of like a cradle to take the stress off the baseplate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddp Posted September 10, 2008 Share #5 Posted September 10, 2008 Just out of curiosity - what do do people see as their CURRENT flagship? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Flatline Posted September 10, 2008 Author Share #6 Posted September 10, 2008 Just out of curiosity - what do do people see as their CURRENT flagship? M8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasimir Posted September 10, 2008 Share #7 Posted September 10, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) my flagship is the "SMS Von der Tann" I salvaged her recently off Scapa Flow when the sons of Albion were watching footy on the telly no-one noticed now my son's having fun with her Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest darkstar2004 Posted September 10, 2008 Share #8 Posted September 10, 2008 As far as camera bodies, I don't know if there is a clear "flagship" body between the M7, MP and the M8. They seem to be on a level playing field, IMO. Of course, one of them is the leader as far as sales, but does that necessairily make it the "flagship?" As far as a flagship lens, I'd have to say the 50/1.4 ASPH could be considered the flagship lens, IMO. Really that distinction should go to the Noctilux, but there is no Noctilux these days... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddp Posted September 10, 2008 Share #9 Posted September 10, 2008 To answer your original question - I suspect it won't be the M8 after the 22nd. It will be expensive of course. The Noctilux and the new Summilux'es are placed as halo products, to show Leica at the cutting edge of lens design and to show the world that they can make truly exotic glass - but I don't view them as flagships necessarily. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted September 10, 2008 Share #10 Posted September 10, 2008 Surely the flagship Leica product is the MP It's the nearest product to their heritage which is currently available. The M8 is after all an imitation of the original M3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elansprint72 Posted September 10, 2008 Share #11 Posted September 10, 2008 C-Lux2.1 The on switch will work in the opposite direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted September 10, 2008 Share #12 Posted September 10, 2008 Well, according to Dr. Kaufmann: The M8 will remain Leica's flagship camera Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted September 11, 2008 Share #13 Posted September 11, 2008 Surely the flagship Leica product is the MP It's the nearest product to their heritage which is currently available. The M8 is after all an imitation of the original M3. MP is right I think. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang Esslinger Posted September 11, 2008 Share #14 Posted September 11, 2008 MP is right I think. If an analog camera with technical specs that were almost outdated in the 70's is Leica's current flagship model then the company is in trouble. Following this logic, what is Nikon's flagship - the F6 (as a direct descendant of the F)? It depends how "flagship" is defined, and I think that usually this term refers to the product that is based on the latest and state-of-the-art technology. So currently this would be the M8. A different question might be which product best represents the heritage. Although one could argue that Leica's original success came from making photography easier by use of modern technology. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted September 11, 2008 Share #15 Posted September 11, 2008 If an analog camera with technical specs that were almost outdated in the 70's is Leica's current flagship model then the company is in trouble. Following this logic, what is Nikon's flagship - the F6 (as a direct descendant of the F)? It depends how "flagship" is defined, and I think that usually this term refers to the product that is based on the latest and state-of-the-art technology. So currently this would be the M8. A different question might be which product best represents the heritage. Although one could argue that Leica's original success came from making photography easier by use of modern technology. I don't know about 'outdated', all you need to take (technically) good photos is good lenses, an accurate shutter, and accurate means of assessing focus and exposure, MP has all those (and the M6 has too). If you can make that reliable and reasonably priced thats all that's 'needed', all the rest is toys to satisfy our fascination with innovation, and the manufacturers need to make money by creating planned obsolescence in people's heads. Gerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonsi Posted September 11, 2008 Share #16 Posted September 11, 2008 If an analog camera with technical specs that were almost outdated in the 70's is Leica's current flagship model then the company is in trouble. Following this logic, what is Nikon's flagship - the F6 (as a direct descendant of the F)? In my opinion the MP is not outdated. It is just a different (pure, simpel and mechanical) approach to photography. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang Esslinger Posted September 11, 2008 Share #17 Posted September 11, 2008 In my opinion the MP is not outdated. It is just a different (pure, simpel and mechanical) approach to photography. I was referring to the MP's technical specifications, eg. shutter speed, not to the camera itself which I think has its place in the market. Sorry for any misunderstanding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhsimmonds Posted September 11, 2008 Share #18 Posted September 11, 2008 If by "flagship" you mean the best possible image quality from any Leica camera/accessory ever made, then it has in my opinion (and many others too) to be either an R8 or R9 with DMR back attached. However I am much more interested in what comes next to replace it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooky Posted September 11, 2008 Share #19 Posted September 11, 2008 In reference to one of the comments about 'being out of date',,,,,,,,,, Read the early 'review' of the Sony a900. The price is cheap(ish), the technology is like the others of equivalent quality except it has a ginormous pixel sensor. So, after I checked out the spec's it's becoming obvious to me - in another four or five years we'll be seeing everyone in the business with these ginorma-pixel sensors and it's a reasonable guess the prices will drop too. I have a hard time envisioning what anyone's flagship camera will be unless it stands out from the cookie-cutter 'me too' crowd. So if that comes to pass, the M line may always be the 'Flagship' - and who knows maybe the R will too. But the features for an M would be faster speeds, some kind of finder improvements, more sensitive meters, bullet-proof field reliability including LONG battery life in extreme conditions. And maybe, They'll stick their Leica neck out and surprise the heck out of us...........But most of all, I would love to have an M that focuses close-up, which is why I also shoot the R's, but, it would be great to do that somehow with an M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted September 11, 2008 Share #20 Posted September 11, 2008 When it comes to "flagship" - as in "carrying the banner" - no question that the rangefinder line has always been this for Leica. No one ever said "Ooooo - nice Leica!" about my SL during the time I used one (Sorry Doug Herr et al!) My M8s (especially the silver one) are recognized over and over - clearly the 3-rectangular window, no-prism, round-end form is immediately identifiable with a sole specific brand by a lot of people - even running past me at full tilt to catch a bus. And not just the old-fogey crowd, either. Got a few comments the week the Democrats were convening here in Denver - mostly from young, liberal types. (wink!) Now - will the R/S/whatever that is rumored eventually replace the Ms as flagship? It'll have to compete against 54 years of M recognition-factor, and be exceptional in its own right, and become widely used enough to start to gather some buzz ("Hey, famous photographer such-and-such used the Leica S to shoot that amazing VOGUE cover this month - I hear she sold all her Hasselblads.") When someone running past a Leica R/S user can recognize - and comment on - the BRAND from a simple glance, then the M will have some competition as "flagship". May take 54 years - may not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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