Fred Miranda wrote:
It looks like Leica ran into trademark problems with the "M12" name in the US. This camera will be released after the M11-V.
Milwaukee already holds the M12 trademark for a wide range of products, including some that overlap with electronics and optics. Leica even filed for the M12 trademark but the application was refused and later abandoned. That probably means we won't see an "M12" here, so they'll either skip the number altogether or come up with a variation.
They could do 'M11 Mark II, Mark III' etc. Or M11.2, M11.02.001, etc.
Or like Chinese brands, ignore any trademarks and release it anyway. It's such a niche product that there will never be any confusion with a Milwaukee product. For good measure, send the Milwaukee executive leadership team a bunch of Leica watches. At the least reach out to Milwaukee and work something out, like a limited edition M12 Milwaukee kit, say body, 35 Lux and a few power tools.
rscheffler wrote:
They could do 'M11 Mark II, Mark III' etc. Or M11.2, M11.02.001, etc.
Or like Chinese brands, ignore any trademarks and release it anyway. It's such a niche product that there will never be any confusion with a Milwaukee product. For good measure, send the Milwaukee executive leadership team a bunch of Leica watches. At the least reach out to Milwaukee and work something out, like a limited edition M12 Milwaukee kit, say body, 35 Lux and a few power tools.
It is actually a fabulous idea. I can’t wait a special edition Leica M12 camera with Milwaukee M12 battery slot, no longer to worried about battery shortages.
rscheffler wrote:
They could do 'M11 Mark II, Mark III' etc. Or M11.2, M11.02.001, etc.
Or like Chinese brands, ignore any trademarks and release it anyway. It's such a niche product that there will never be any confusion with a Milwaukee product. For good measure, send the Milwaukee executive leadership team a bunch of Leica watches. At the least reach out to Milwaukee and work something out, like a limited edition M12 Milwaukee kit, say body, 35 Lux and a few power tools.
Maybe Leica is ready to move past the "11" series. The M11 has matured into a great camera, but its rocky launch and the issues that followed for years did leave a mark on the brand until everything was finally refined.
Desmolicious wrote:
I’m just used to using my M5 - the manliest Leica ever made.
Huss, I do love the M5, but I think the SL2 with the 90-280 may qualify as the "manliest" Leica ever made. You need 3 men and a small boy to carry it around.... Classes at my local gym use it as free weights.
rscheffler wrote:
They could do 'M11 Mark II, Mark III' etc. Or M11.2, M11.02.001, etc.
Or like Chinese brands, ignore any trademarks and release it anyway. It's such a niche product that there will never be any confusion with a Milwaukee product. For good measure, send the Milwaukee executive leadership team a bunch of Leica watches. At the least reach out to Milwaukee and work something out, like a limited edition M12 Milwaukee kit, say body, 35 Lux and a few power tools.
A Milwaukee edition you say? Ladies and Germs, may I present to you the Leica M12 Arthur Fonzerelli edition.
All those is favour say heyyyyyyyy.
crf59 wrote:
Huss, I do love the M5, but I think the SL2 with the 90-280 may qualify as the "manliest" Leica ever made. You need 3 men and a small boy to carry it around.... Classes at my local gym use it as free weights.
Dunno about that mate. I should put my R9 with motordrive (not the puny autowinder) on a truck scale and see what it rings up.
Desmolicious wrote:
Dunno about that mate. I should put my R9 with motordrive (not the puny autowinder) on a truck scale and see what it rings up.
I shot for years with the R9+Motordrive and lenses such as the 280/4 and even 2.8. Take them everyday over any SL and not with the 90-280, even the 24-90.
The R9 was manly: the SL system size and weight are something else, out of this world: you need an antigravity system to carry your gear around. Or even better a teleportation, Scotty in the USS Enterprise to beam it up in your hands just the time you need to take a picture and then safely out in a containment chamber.
Because the SL gravitational field is a danger for the planet.
freaklikeme wrote:
The R8's 100g heavier, and still takes the motordrive.
Yeah, they changed the top plate from brass (steel?) to magnesium on the 9. Some of the improvements on the 9 were worse IMO (I had both). I prefered that the 8 did not have the little button to push down to release the mode dial.
But worst of all on both cameras, there was no dedicated on/off switch. You always had to rotate the mode dial so you can't leave the camera in , for example, aperture priority mode and turn it off.
Anyway, back to our regular programming - the M12 EVF.
Desmolicious wrote:
Yeah, they changed the top plate from brass (steel?) to magnesium on the 9. Some of the improvements on the 9 were worse IMO (I had both). I prefered that the 8 did not have the little button to push down to release the mode dial.
But worst of all on both cameras, there was no dedicated on/off switch. You always had to rotate the mode dial so you can't leave the camera in , for example, aperture priority mode and turn it off.
Anyway, back to our regular programming - the M12 EVF.
If it were perfect, everyone would want one.
As for this EVF-based M camera, what's taking so long? They must have something special planned.
I've been told the new camera will be available "very soon".
Now given the rumoured Q3 Mono launching date in October, I was wondering if it is common, for Leica, to announce multiple products on the same date. Or rather they will spread these over a few weeks.
freaklikeme wrote:
As for this EVF-based M camera, what's taking so long? They must have something special planned.
Maybe October / November release was always the plan and they have something special planned.
But tbh I think it’s quite likely they wanted to release this closer to the 100 year anniversary, but then decided to wait until the whole tariff situation is a bit more clear and they can set pricing accordingly.
Probably the only thing that I personally see upgrading from the M11 is a true hybrid view finder with both RF and EVF without the need of an external EVF. Swapping out the thumb grip with Visoflex is so cumbersome. I usually end up using live view. Stripping away the RF would lose the charm of the M. A hybrid finder is where it has to ultimately end up. This EVF M is probably a step stone.
fjablo wrote:
Maybe October / November release was always the plan and they have something special planned.
But tbh I think it’s quite likely they wanted to release this closer to the 100 year anniversary, but then decided to wait until the whole tariff situation is a bit more clear and they can set pricing accordingly.
"The final name of the Leica M with an electronic viewfinder will be Leica M EV1."
Holy Smoke! I accidentally came up with the name as a joke. The EV1 was of course the name of the GM Electric car that was famously only available as a lease. At lease termination, GM crushed the cars. I'm a bit surprised Leica would use the "EV1" name for two reasons - possible copyright issues and this notorious association with GM EV1 history.
M-EV1 is dangerously close to the acronym camera marketing departments most feared, Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens; now we get an EV1(L) M-mount.
Interesting if they price it lower than the standard m11. I understand why they would, as it should cost less to manufacture, i just didn’t imagine they would
