For Leica to afford that they would have to a) shift assembly to asia and b) increase the number of employees doing repairs/support since they will have more issues. Their name and reputation will go down the toilet. Do you see how big a fuss people make when Leica slip up? I don't think they'll have any issues selling as many M9's as they can make for the time being.
I suppose for people just coming to Leica the prices are scary but I'm accustomed to it. If it horrifies you, wait for used stuff or don't enter the Leica world.
To each his own I guess. If you have the money and enjoy Leicas then by all means "scratch that itch." I for one hope this camera is a success for it would be sad if Leica crashed as a company. We have fewer camera manufacturers now than just a few years ago.
I will never buy one of these things. Its the price and that price would make me nervous about carrying and using one. I look at digital cameras as capture devices. They have a short shelf life as far as technology goes and they need to earn their keep while I own them. For me the 5D series perfectly fits the balance between FF, size, performance and value. I do not use the 1D series either. If I shot sports like I used to I would pay the extra though. The Canon system has just a huge range of lenses. It also works with flash units, radio slaves, TSE glass etc.
I would be nervous about hiking or traveling with this kind of camera. So much can happen, and any dent or scratch would be a real downer.
The other thing here is the "Leica as fashion accessory" aspect. Its there; it always has been. I used to live in the northeast and would go to New York City all the time. In the cool neighborhoods like Greenwich Village you would see these guys all over the place wearing the cool clothes with the Leica hanging off their shoulders. I used to wonder if these cool cats actually shot pictures?
I own and use a Leica. I have a wonderful IIIF with self timer. To me this model is the most beautiful camera ever made. Its an art object and fun to use every now and then. Its about as far as I want to go with Leica though.
But I understand and appreciate users who love these cameras and are willing to pay the price of entry. Its the same thing with those who buy sports cars. Sure a Toyota Camry will get you there but a BMW 7 series gets you there in a different way.
Life is short. Photography is a wonderful pastime and if a high end Leica gets you there then who can argue?
thrice wrote:
I suppose for people just coming to Leica the prices are scary but I'm accustomed to it. If it horrifies you, wait for used stuff or don't enter the Leica world.
I am far from horrified......... baffled maybe, but definitely not horrified.
I've never shot a Leica and I've always wanted to try.......... so you are right, I will wait for used stuff or when the prices start going down. I'm sure it's a great camera and will add a new dimension to my way of shooting...........one day.........
roanjohnnyc wrote:
But wouldn't you be happier if this camera cost $3000 instead of $7000? I think all the complaints in this forum is for Leica to know that they will sell more cameras if they lower the price........ but of course, that's not gonna work........ but we try anyways!
If you don't mind not having the Leica name on it, I'm sure someone else could produce pretty much the same thing for $3-4000. It's time for Cosina/Zeiss Ikon to step up...
roanjohnnyc wrote:
I've never shot a Leica and I've always wanted to try.........
I had never used a Leica until an old IIIg was loaned to me for a few months, back in the 1970s. The RF was off vertically, the slow speeds and ST were gummy, I was accustomed to using a TTL meter and my favorite Nikkors were the 55 Micro and 300mm f/4.5.
The camera's owner was the security guard at the University's engineering building, and when he offered it to me my first thought was "I'll humor the old guy and pretend to be thrilled". Within a week it was my favorite camera. I hated giving it back.
telyt wrote:
I had never used a Leica until an old IIIg was loaned to me for a few months, back in the 1970s. The RF was off vertically, the slow speeds and ST were gummy, I was accustomed to using a TTL meter and my favorite Nikkors were the 55 Micro and 300mm f/4.5.
The camera's owner was the security guard at the University's engineering building, and when he offered it to me my first thought was "I'll humor the old guy and pretend to be thrilled". Within a week it was my favorite camera. I hated giving it back.
EEEEEKKK!!! Is this a warning to not play with a Leica until sufficient funds allows for the purchase of one?
Lotusm50 wrote:
If you don't mind not having the Leica name on it, I'm sure someone else could produce pretty much the same thing for $3-4000. It's time for Cosina/Zeiss Ikon to step up...
Couldn't agree more......... I don't mind spending money on lenses as they can last a lifetime.........but digital bodies are more throw-away nowadays in a sense that they are outdated in 2-3 years.
.............or maybe Epson to introduce a full-frame R2?
Lotusm50 wrote:
If you don't mind not having the Leica name on it, I'm sure someone else could produce pretty much the same thing for $3-4000. It's time for Cosina/Zeiss Ikon to step up...
Coming soon from Zeiss, but body made by Sony not Cosina. As soon as 2010 it seems. Zeiss has denied the rumours. It has also denied the possibility of making lenses in Canon mount, 2 weeks before the ZE line was announced
roanjohnnyc wrote:
Couldn't agree more......... I don't mind spending money on lenses as they can last a lifetime.........but digital bodies are more throw-away nowadays in a sense that they are outdated in 2-3 years.
I dunno. I'm pretty sure my 5D will be producing the same quality files in 5 years as it has for the past three years.
I'm waiting until I can get an used M9 for half of what it sells for now, or somewhere around that ballpark, if Zeiss releases a camera within this time period, that has a a900/850-ish sensor, I guess that would be really tempting too...
cogitech wrote:
Yes, because I'll at least have a real focusing screen rather than some stupid gizmo.
Oh, and I hope you kept your sensor brush and rocket blower as the Nikon D700xxs just came out with Laser Dust Zapping Technology........ And I hear the new 5D will instantly zap any old versions to oblivion when they arrive!!
If the M9 lives up to the expectations, I think Leica have priced it very well given it's market, low manufacturing numbers, etc. THE only glaring flaw is the lack of any sort of weather sealing. Strange for a camera marketed as one to be taken everywhere. Ironically, the S2 does have weather sealing yet its intended market is more the studio photographer. So, why is there no better weather sealing in the M9 vs. the M8? If I had the $$$ and was a rangefinder shooter, that would be my only reservation, particularly for such an expensive camera that can easily incur 2k plus repair bills if it's damaged due to moisture. That does not seem to uphold the classic mechanical M heritage of reliability. What would it have taken to give the M9 even a little weather resistance? Likely not much.
Tariq Gibran wrote:
If the M9 lives up to the expectations, I think Leica have priced it very well given it's market, low manufacturing numbers, etc. THE only glaring flaw is the lack of any sort of weather sealing. Strange for a camera marketed as one to be taken everywhere. Ironically, the S2 does have weather sealing yet its intended market is more the studio photographer. So, why is there no better weather sealing in the M9 vs. the M8? If I had the $$$ and was a rangefinder shooter, that would be my only reservation, particularly for such an expensive camera that can easily incur 2k plus repair bills if it's damaged due to moisture. That does not seem to uphold the classic mechanical M heritage of reliability. What would it have taken to give the M9 even a little weather resistance? Likely not much. ...Show more →
Much of my trip to Norway this summer seemed to take place during days with all-day rains. Nevertheless, I hauled my M8.2 around with me everywhere exposing it to moisture with no issues. In fact, I'm glad I had the M8 as I was able to hole an umbrella in one hand for many shots while I shot with the other. I also shot extensively with it outdoors during the winter in Wisconsin in temperatures at -15-20 degrees without any problems.
I did and read through the whole thread. Conclusion: The M8 can have issues with moisture. Those that don't have issues can consider themselves lucky as Leica did not design the M8 nor M9 for use in adverse weather conditions. Those that encounter failures will not be covered under warranty and could easily be looking at huge repair bills. There are plenty of other threads that basically state the same and there are likewise plenty of examples representative of digital M's failing due to moisture as well as those that do not. Sean Reid and many other Leica M Digital proponents have no problem stating that when the weather turns bad its time to put the M8 or M9 away. I think that pretty much says it all.
Much of my trip to Norway this summer seemed to take place during days with all-day rains. Nevertheless, I hauled my M8.2 around with me everywhere exposing it to moisture with no issues. In fact, I'm glad I had the M8 as I was able to hole an umbrella in one hand for many shots while I shot with the other. I also shot extensively with it outdoors during the winter in Wisconsin in temperatures at -15-20 degrees without any problems.
Kurt
Sounds like you were one of the lucky ones! Had your camera failed, well, I'm sure you would not have been a happy camper.
