V
Vivek
Guest
Any low price model is welcome given that a normal lens (real Leica not some 3rd party stuff) costs a pretty penny.
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I honestly can't say for sure but look at say two models of lower or midrange model DSLR's from Nikon. Similar or same sensor and shutters near identical...just less bells and whistles and an oversimplified layout with a somewhat less robust construction. Yet that alone results in a market spread where one of those models (relatively speaking) is much less expensive from the other). Sure the sum cost difference in parts may only amount to a small amount, but this has always been the way manufactures spread out their various models. More features/capabilities, the higher the costsHow much further can you strip down a Leica M? It is not like it is a very complicated camera. It does not have live view. No real physical technology that can be taken out--the coupled rangefinder is the most complicated and if it is a rangefinder it hardly seems likely they will remove that. Perhaps they will return to the screw mount?
Where?Everyone's been crying for a cheaper digital RF. Well, here it is.
Perhaps an M9 Lite. The same CCD with a less expensive body--more plastic and cheaper finish. The M10 may boast a new CMOS with all that come with it.I honestly can't say for sure but look at say two models of lower or midrange model DSLR's from Nikon. Similar or same sensor and shutters near identical...just less bells and whistles and an oversimplified layout with a somewhat less robust construction. Yet that alone results in a market spred where one of those models (relatively speaking) is much less expensive from the other). Sure the sum cost difference in parts may only amount to a small amount, but this has always been the way manufactures spread out their various models. More features/capabilities, the higher the cots
A simpler shutter, a film advance lever to recock shutter instead of motor, cropped sensor, smaller body built with less robust parts, simple seperate door(s) for battery and SD card insertion, no removeable costly bottom plate, maybe plastic/polycarbonate fame and external budy parts instead of metal and of course a simplier feature set. Even reduce the type of packaging they use for the M9. Oh, and of course that cropped sensor is CMOS so the high ISO eprformance and compact lighter weight body will attract current M9 users as well as those who'd like to enter the system with a new camera (and a lower price). Just some thoughts.
Shashin, fire up that modified lawn mower engine, get that rubber "assembly line" belt rotating (the ones from the 1930's) and lets get this ball rolling
Dave (D&A)
The answer is this lower priced body that uses M lenses will now be the manual camera, the real replacement for the M9 feature wise. You completely right the M9 is still mostly twenty year old technology save for the chip, and let's not even discuss value or "features" set against even today's mirrorless bodies.How much further can you strip down a Leica M? It is not like it is a very complicated camera. It does not have live view. No real physical technology that can be taken out--the coupled rangefinder is the most complicated and if it is a rangefinder it hardly seems likely they will remove that. Perhaps they will return to the screw mount?
I'd love it if they made a "digital CL". Or an X2 based body that can take M-mount lenses. Both the CL (I've been fondling the one I just received ... ;-) and the X2 are wonderful cameras ... shape, weight, size, features are all excellent. I've been waiting for this camera to appear for a while.I think it all depends how a lower priced Leica M digital is implemented will determine how interesting it is. If its simply a stripped down M, thats going to temper some enthusiam. If it's something akin to a Leica CL in digital form, smaller/lighter than a M9, maybe with some form of cropped CMOS sensor to keep costs down (and priced significantly below an M9) yet due to having CMOS sensor it incorporates good higher ISO performance...then this is something that even current M9 users could envision as a second alternative body as well as attracting those that want an interchangeable M body digital camera but find the cost of an M9 too high financialy. ...
Exactly! What we both expressed (and I'm sure many others have too) would make a lower prcied alternative interesting. Not just a striped down version of an already exising camera but a new entry level camera that takes interchangeable M lenses ala Leica CL, Ricoh GXR, X2, that has it's own little feature set but clearly being cost effective for both lecia and the consumer is bult into the equation. No one doubted at the time of the CL, that it was clearly a budget made and priced alternative to the Leica M bodies at the time but at the same time, wasn't just a stripped down M4 or whatever M body was the standard at the time.I'd love it if they made a "digital CL". Or an X2 based body that can take M-mount lenses. Both the CL (I've been fondling the one I just received ... ;-) and the X2 are wonderful cameras ... shape, weight, size, features are all excellent. I've been waiting for this camera to appear for a while.
(The Ricoh GXR with M-mount camera unit is right there too: a dedicated TTL electronic M-mount camera that does a superb job with a huge range of the available M-mount and LTM lenses. The A12 Camera Mount (APS-C format 12Mpixel sensor with no AA filter and corrective optics tuned for RF lenses, focal plane shutter, a host of features) is a $750 purchase. Build that technology into either a CL (with coupled optical rangefinder) or X2 (with LCD and optional high-rez EVF) format body and you have a winner. Make it 'the Leica way' and one will be in my closet quickly.
I'm happy with the M9 as it is. A less expensive M9 ... hmm ... hard to imagine what they'd remove as the M8/M9 are pretty minimalistic as it is. I wouldn't want them to leave out the quality.
But again, I await the real announcements.