Lee Saxon wrote:
I wouldn\'t accept these kind of early-alpha-firmware-build problems from a $695 piece of equipment. To get them from a $6950 piece of equipment yet still describe yourself as delighted with it...
I get it, Leica\'s fans are loyal. But refusing to say \"no\" to them is being an enabler, not being loyal. Only buying Leica products if they\'re made absolutely right (and be honest about what \"right\" is, given the extreme price tag - switching from metal to plastic focusing tabs on a $6,000 lens ain\'t it, for example) is the best thing a Leica fan could do to ensure their beloved brand\'s survival.
It\'s not really a question of loyalty. It\'s a question of whether certain \"warts\" are acceptable when compared with other things that are done well. I rarely expect any product, even an expensive one, to be perfect. For example, a good fountain or technical drafting pen costs more and leaks more than a $1 rollerball. My sister\'s extremely expensive mechanical watch needs to be wound every day, while a $30 Timex keeps better time without needing to be wound at all.
I am a relatively new entrant to the M platform, and am not rabidly loyal. But I do like it. A lot. It causes me to do things I haven\'t done in years... like wandering around and shooting everyday, just for the heck of it. It is so light and comfortable to use, yet so solid, tactile, and beautifully mechanical in feel. The image quality is simply superb, almost as good as my D800 at ISOs up to 800.
These aspects of the system overshadow, for now anyway, the \"early-alpha-firmware-build problems\" you speak of. The fact that there are plastic focusing tabs on my otherwise metal-and-glass Summiluxes simply doesn\'t matter, as they don\'t diminish my ability to use and enjoy them.
But then there\'s the inescapable matter of choice, which there is precious little of when you want to use these lenses...
What choice do you have? Who else makes a full frame digital rangefinder? Or even a FF mirrorless camera that doesn\'t crap out with wide angle lenses.
Sony a7r + Olympus 18/3.5
Lightweight, small, sharp. Will cost you about a third of the leica..
And where do I get one of those? Oh, that\'s right, it\'s not available yet, and won\'t be for almost another 2 months.
While the A7r looks to be an amazing camera that I might even buy, I won\'t be dumping the M. The Sony won\'t have the build quality, ergonomic simplicity, or RF focusing that I so enjoy with the M.
