M9: Does Phase One Know Something?

[tomasis7]

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Does Leica reserve M9 for Windows users?........... kidding..

[jaapv]

It is there.

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Steve Ash]

This disclosure is another desaster for Leica management. The thread opener should have given this information to Leica only. Ok, it is done, it is history.

 

The future is easy to foresee. Speculations about specs and prices of the camera ending in a big moaning about the final price. Same as happened for the high speed lenses and recently the S2.

 

So lets start speculations. My guess is:

The M8 and M8.2 s will stay as entry level at about 10% lower prices than today. The M9 will be offered - my personal guess with no background information- at 50% higher level of about 7995EUR.

 

I never believed that an M9 will be seen before Photokina 2010 so I have no guess on any release date.

 

Regards

Steve

[delander †]

The thread opener should have given this information to Leica only.

 

Regards

Steve

 

No point, too many people will have downloaded ver 4.8.2 to have kept it secret. If there is a problem it is something for Leica to sort out with Phaseone.

 

Jeff

[egibaud]

This disclosure is another desaster for Leica management. The thread opener should have given this information to Leica only. Ok, it is done, it is history.

 

The future is easy to foresee. Speculations about specs and prices of the camera ending in a big moaning about the final price. Same as happened for the high speed lenses and recently the S2.

 

So lets start speculations. My guess is:

The M8 and M8.2 s will stay as entry level at about 10% lower prices than today. The M9 will be offered - my personal guess with no background information- at 50% higher level of about 7995EUR.

 

I never believed that an M9 will be seen before Photokina 2010 so I have no guess on any release date.

 

Regards

Steve

 

My guess:

 

9-9-9 = M9

Full Frame

18-20 millions pix

D3 like noise control

No IR filter

Maybe be a focus confirmation R9 type

A recock lever

Traditional M shape

High resolution and quality LCD

 

Price tage 6000 Euros Tax Included

[adli]

My guess:

 

9-9-9 = M9

Full Frame

18-20 millions pix

D3 like noise control

No IR filter

Maybe be a focus confirmation R9 type

A recock lever

Traditional M shape

High resolution and quality LCD

 

Price tage 6000 Euros Tax Included

 

9-9-9 = M9: To early

Full Frame: Probably

18-20 millions pix: Something like it

D3 like noise control: Might be

No IR filter: Probably

Maybe be a focus confirmation R9 type: In an M-body? Not likely

A recock lever: It's a digital camera......

Traditional M shape: Goes without saying

High resolution and quality LCD: Probably

[andybarton]

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They stopped making M8s months ago (hence the rebates), so the "entry level model", if any, will be the M8.2

 

I bet, if there's an M9 coming next month, they have stopped making M8.2s too.

[jaapv]

My guess:

 

9-9-9 = M9

Full Frame

18-20 millions pix

D3 like noise control

No IR filter

Maybe be a focus confirmation R9 type

A recock lever

Traditional M shape

High resolution and quality LCD

 

Price tage 6000 Euros Tax Included

What IS a focus confirmation R9 type:confused:

[sdai]

They stopped making M8s months ago (hence the rebates), so the "entry level model", if any, will be the M8.2

 

I bet, if there's an M9 coming next month, they have stopped making M8.2s too.

 

Leica Japan just started offering 50% discount on the M8 upgrade program from July 13, so I assume that they're still working on the M8(.2) and it's not completely halted yet.

 

Dr. Kaufmann has just said that full frame is only a marketing trick in less than 6 months so it's kindly of hard for me to see all in a sudden a FF M9 will pop up in September.

[marknorton]

It's possible that M8 upgrades have hit a brick wall after the price rise of 50% in January, though a 50% price cut from those increased prices is quite aggressive.

 

If the M9 is coming and if it's full-frame, it's bound to be expensive, more than the current M8.2, even if they are able to save money by re-engineering the electronics to take advantage of the Maestro chip set. Moving the M camera up-market with nothing to fill the void left would be a commercial mistake and lift the M still further out of reach for many.

 

I think it's likely we will see therefore some sort of cropped frame camera - an M8.3 which is less expensive than the M8.2 but which fills the void left between the Brownie 127 and the Leica M9.

Edited August 2, 2009 by marknorton

[jaapv]

Afaik it will be slightly more expensive than the M8.2 Now we can fight over the definition of "slightly" . I agree about the M-Brownie.

[norm_snyder]

I can't even seem to locate upgrade information on the US site-it keeps taking me to the European price list, and suggests that the link to a Leica USA page for upgrades is no longer functional.

[offshore]

Excellent! I can't wait for the M9 so M8 and M8.2 prices can drop and I can finally afford a second body.

[delander †]

Afaik it will be slightly more expensive than the M8.2 Now we can fight over the definition of "slightly" . I agree about the M-Brownie.

 

my guess is that 'slightly' means at least €1000

 

Jeff

[sdai]

All M users should be grateful because Leica eventually chose to price the S2 "professionally" so now the risk they'll heavily tax the M users to subsidize the S2 should be less, but I doubt it'll only be slightly more expensive than the 8.2 just by looking at the price gap between a Canon 1D3 and 1Ds3, or the gap between a 50D and a 5D2 you should get some idea.

 

My bet is there would be a premium of at least 60% if not close to double, still ... a mosquito bite when compared to the expense on building a (totally unproven and incomplete) S2 collection from scratch as most of us already have what we want or a full set. The 50/.95 surely looks like a bargain now.

 

I'm not a typical M shooter but if the IQ difference between the M9 and a S2 is marginal (which is quite possible and should be) then the M9 will make much better sense.

Edited August 2, 2009 by sdai

[StS]

My guess:

 

(...)

Full Frame

(...)

 

Didn't the Leica product management exclude such a solution for the near future?

[rosuna]

I think it's likely we will see therefore some sort of cropped frame camera - an M8.3 which is less expensive than the M8.2 but which fills the void left between the Brownie 127 and the Leica M9.

 

I think the FF M9 is not ready for presentation, considering Stefan Daniel's words. The 2010 Photokina is more probable. Leica needs to bring new products to the market, and I suppose they will do it, but the M9 cannot be ready at this moment.

[stunsworth]

Didn't the Leica product management exclude such a solution for the near future?

 

About 6 years ago yes.

[scaryink]

Thank g*d for rampant consumerism.

 

I am absolutely sure that the M9 will make you THE best photographers that ever pushed a shutter.

 

Perhaps its time to start speaking of the M10 now that rumors of the M9 and its performance and limitations have been so fully discussed.

 

And the M11?? Now that is something that even Captain Kirk hadn't thought of. I understand Phase One has all the details locked in a vault.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Shootist]

Thank g*d for rampant consumerism.

 

I am absolutely sure that the M9 will make you THE best photographers that ever pushed a shutter.

 

Perhaps its time to start speaking of the M10 now that rumors of the M9 and its performance and limitations have been so fully discussed.

 

And the M11?? Now that is something that even Captain Kirk hadn't thought of. I understand Phase One has all the details locked in a vault.

 

Why are you so negative all the time.