Quentin_Bargate
Well-known member
You should visit his gallery in Toronto and see some of his prints first hand.
Quentin
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Next Gen Alpha FF DSLR
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Quentin
Bill Caulfeild-Browne
Well-known member
Hear hear, Quentin!
Bill
Bill
carstenw
Active member
With all due respect to both Quentin and Bill, Michael Reichmann's ability to make a good fine-art print in general does not mean that the ball wasn't dropped on the MF shot in the G10-MFDB comparo. I could also spot the difference in the web output, and the things I was seeing wouldn't be hidden in a print.
I admit that the difference wasn't large, but when I look at similar work I have done with my 22MP MFDB, I am shocked at how lousy the image that MR put up looks. It should have looked way better. The G10, on the other hand, was probably running pretty close to its limits.
I admit that the difference wasn't large, but when I look at similar work I have done with my 22MP MFDB, I am shocked at how lousy the image that MR put up looks. It should have looked way better. The G10, on the other hand, was probably running pretty close to its limits.
N
nautilus
Guest
Yes, in the last days KonicaMinolta's share was about 3% and went fast to 0.
I addressed the situation when they were in good business with their cameras 7D and 5D. Minolta customers waited for years for the first DSLR products. Then the market share was around 10% worldwide.
If I remember correctly, after another period of waiting these Minolta customers were made happy with Sony's first DSLR camera. They were hungry again and bought the Alpha 100. For a certain period these sales were enough to gain a market share of around 10% again.
With their many small cameras Sony managed to improve this share by 3% and were lately around 13% market share worldwide.
10 and 3 seems to be magic numbers for this system. Sony's DSLR managers must be in big trouble. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cybershot top mangement use this situation to gain control of the DSLR business and eat the DSLR division for breakfast.
douglasf13
New member
Sony achieved a 6.2% market share with the A100 the first year. Sony DSLR's stated market goal for 2008 was 10%. It took the A200,300,350 to slightly beat that goal. When Sony took over KM, they were hoping for a 20% market share within few years, and, while they haven't gotten there yet, I'd say things are still looking up for them.
N
nautilus
Guest
6,2% are not so bad over 12 months for a single camera that isn't a Nikon or Canon.
The A100 was announced in June 06. What Sony launched later on in the entry level camera market was much more criticized in the forums. My very personal impression is that Sony did a few things wrong with the A200 and A300 series, they did their own way of camera and feature design and didn't care much of what the experienced photo communities wanted.
Their forth year in the DSLR business is half over. I hope that they adjusted the A500 series a bit better to the market demand and will have success.
Honestly, I don't think that the company allows themselve such a distant 3rd place in any market for much more than 4 years. And I don't want to change the system because there will be no other company that continues A mount business like Sony did when they took it over from KonicaMinolta.
The A100 was announced in June 06. What Sony launched later on in the entry level camera market was much more criticized in the forums. My very personal impression is that Sony did a few things wrong with the A200 and A300 series, they did their own way of camera and feature design and didn't care much of what the experienced photo communities wanted.
Their forth year in the DSLR business is half over. I hope that they adjusted the A500 series a bit better to the market demand and will have success.
Honestly, I don't think that the company allows themselve such a distant 3rd place in any market for much more than 4 years. And I don't want to change the system because there will be no other company that continues A mount business like Sony did when they took it over from KonicaMinolta.
douglasf13
New member
Pentax and Olympus have been doing that for years, but who knows where they'll go from here? For me, personally, I could really care less about the a-mount itself, and I would already be shooting another DSLR brand if I liked the system better. Granted, I am still considering a move to the M9.
carstenw
Active member
Douglas, you should seriously consider keeping the A900 and adding an M8 instead. The M9 has some minor teething trouble and it is still an M, i.e. no macro, no auto-focus, no T/S, no telephoto, and so on. In fact, I have an M8 and am considering adding an A900 
I just have to make a decision on my MFDB.
I just have to make a decision on my MFDB.
douglasf13
New member
I think I've already made up my mind, but thanks for the head's up. I've gone back to being a 50mm only shooter for the last six months, and I plan on staying that way for a while. A digital rangefinder is my dream camera for now, and I'd just add an M8, but I'm starting a new business, so I don't wanna spend a dime extra on the move. I'm gonna sell my A900 and all the lenses, but the tougher part will be selling my 1958 Reissue Les Paul that's been sitting in case for a year. Gulp. Time to talk to Jono a bit before I finally commit....
douglasf13
New member
Then again, I could always just get an M8, like you say, and a Summicron 40mm. Hmmm...
carstenw
Active member
I would go for a Summicron 35 IV over the 40mm on the M8, but that is a question of taste. The M8 is a great little camera with really nice colour and N&W results, but it isn't good at everything. Perhaps you can sell one or two lenses to fund the move. Don't sell the Les Paul...
Eoin
Member
LOL, I'm thinking about adding a M9 to get back the portability I've been missing since I sold my M8 kit....In fact, I have an M8 and am considering adding an A900
Don't take me up wrong, I love the a900's I have and they work very well together. But there was just something in the images I managed to get in focus with the M8 that I can't describe. Perhaps I'm crazy thinking about a Leica again, it would in effect become a pocket camera with perhaps a single lens like the 35 Cron Asph.
The things putting me off at the moment is cost and teething problems, I really don't want the same grief I had with the M8 for the best part of a year in the 2 years I owned it. The reliability issues around the sensor lines and M8 shutters are a real concern for me.
Perhaps I'll sit this release out and wait for a M10, see what that's like and either opt for that or jump on the sub €2000 M9's that will be floating around.
As I said in another thread elsewhere, Note to self, when they tell you to "never sell a leica", listen to them.
I was one of Leica's most vocal critics concerning the M8 ... and was one of the first to blow the whistle about the IR contamination.
My M9 has been completely the opposite experience. Flawless from day one. Focus is spot on (I can attest to that based on using a 50/0.95 and 75/1.4). No hiccups or SNAFUs to date. Buffer's slow, as is formatting ... but those are my only gripes ... neither affect my way of shooting with a rangefinder anyway, so it's a non-issue for me.
-Marc
Eoin
Member
I accept what you say Marc, and from what others have said focus accuracy seems somewhat improved with the M9 even with the shallower DOF of full frame. All good news for me who had issues with focus. How much of that was down to my eyesight remains a question.
However, I'm not prepared to suffer AWB issues like I did with the M8 for nearly a year before the firmware update finally fixed the issue. Lines in the sensor was an ongoing problem for me finally resulting in the camera being replaced.
From images I've seen over the web there is still some issues (to my eyes) with IR. But how much of this is due to the lack of canned or correct profiles in the raw decoders I don't know yet. And of course the issues I mentioned in my post above.
Don't get me wrong, I believe Solms will fix any and all the issues as they have do so for me in the past, but I refuse to drop €5000 on a body and €5000 on a couple of lenses only to wait for the DHL man shuttle back 'n' forth between Dublin and Solms as I did in the past.
I believe in the image ability of the Leica products, however product release quality control and general reliability seem to be a weakness that they have not overcome. It doesn't matter how good or obliging Leica CS are, it's still a PIA to pack and ship your camera off for a 4 week repair session.
But in a strange way it somehow seems acceptable (even to me). The grand old master of film images is learning to survive in the digital era. I loved the results I got with the M8 and genuinely regret not keeping it.
However, I'm not prepared to suffer AWB issues like I did with the M8 for nearly a year before the firmware update finally fixed the issue. Lines in the sensor was an ongoing problem for me finally resulting in the camera being replaced.
From images I've seen over the web there is still some issues (to my eyes) with IR. But how much of this is due to the lack of canned or correct profiles in the raw decoders I don't know yet. And of course the issues I mentioned in my post above.
Don't get me wrong, I believe Solms will fix any and all the issues as they have do so for me in the past, but I refuse to drop €5000 on a body and €5000 on a couple of lenses only to wait for the DHL man shuttle back 'n' forth between Dublin and Solms as I did in the past.
I believe in the image ability of the Leica products, however product release quality control and general reliability seem to be a weakness that they have not overcome. It doesn't matter how good or obliging Leica CS are, it's still a PIA to pack and ship your camera off for a 4 week repair session.
But in a strange way it somehow seems acceptable (even to me). The grand old master of film images is learning to survive in the digital era. I loved the results I got with the M8 and genuinely regret not keeping it.
douglasf13
New member
Hilariously, I just did a quick price assessment of all of my Sony gear and a few older film cams that I have, and the going rate is nearly exactly what I can get an M9 and a used Summicron 50 (or Planar 50 f2) for.
Leica seems to be pretty open about the M9 sensor glass breaking issue, and I'm not TOO concerned about it, but it's certainly an issue. Maybe by the time I actually get an M9, it'll be fixed
Leica seems to be pretty open about the M9 sensor glass breaking issue, and I'm not TOO concerned about it, but it's certainly an issue. Maybe by the time I actually get an M9, it'll be fixed
What "glass breaking" issue. First I've heard of it. Is there a link?Hilariously, I just did a quick price assessment of all of my Sony gear and a few older film cams that I have, and the going rate is nearly exactly what I can get an M9 and a used Summicron 50 (or Planar 50 f2) for.
Leica seems to be pretty open about the M9 sensor glass breaking issue, and I'm not TOO concerned about it, but it's certainly an issue. Maybe by the time I actually get an M9, it'll be fixed
-Marc
Amazing but true....:bugeyes:
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/108712-ir-absorbing-cover-glass-broken.html
Bob
OMG
I haven't been following this at all
the images of the sensors from this link just sends a shiver down my spine!
thank you for posting it.
am