New film Leica: Leica M-A

[David A. Goldfarb]

"Typ 127"--and I thought it was going to shoot 127 film. Sorry, not retro enough.

 

[summicron1]

I like how they've managed to design out the pentaprism "hump"; I guess it comes with a kit zoom, 24-70 or something? But I can't see that info anywhere.

ur kidding, right?

On the off-chance you don't know, the Leica M is a rangefinder camera. It has no pentaprism and zoom lenses don't work with them because linking a zooming viewfinder to a lens would be very difficult, if even possible.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Threads merged.

 

[pdeeh]

On the off-chance you don't know, the Leica M is a rangefinder camera. It has no pentaprism and zoom lenses don't work with them because linking a zooming viewfinder to a lens would be very difficult, if even possible.

a range-what now?

 

[Fixcinater]

It's just an MP with less stuff.

and a $200 smaller price tag.

Price level notwithstanding, it's neat to see them pull stuff out of a camera instead of trying to pack even more "features" into one. I hardly ever use any of those extra features (my M3 could lose the self-timer, the non-50mm frame lines & preview lever) so why add complexity?

 

[cliveh]

They should have called it the M2-2014.

+1

 

[Eric Rose]

What a pathetic and transparent money grab. There are enough old film M's around to satisfy the needs of real photographers for sometime to come. This is a princess camera to be coddled and displayed on a shelf somewhere so people can oh and ah over it. Nothing more than the equivalent of a status car parked in the driveway to insure your neighbours see it.

 

[georg16nik]

What a pathetic and transparent money grab. There are enough old film M's around to satisfy the needs of real photographers for sometime to come.....

real photographers?

 

[pdeeh]

You have to watch out for them fake photographers. They look just like real ones, the bastards

 

[Eric Rose]

real photographers?

Ya, people who actually put film through their cameras rather than those that just collect them.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

I wish Leica much success. I'm a long time owner of two M3's and two M6's, so I'm not their target market. If I get another Leica, it'd be an M4 or M5.

I wish their price was lower so that newcomers would be more tempted to get it, but there are plenty of M's in the used marketplace.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

What a pathetic and transparent money grab. There are enough old film M's around to satisfy the needs of real photographers for sometime to come. This is a princess camera to be coddled and displayed on a shelf somewhere so people can oh and ah over it. Nothing more than the equivalent of a status car parked in the driveway to insure your neighbours see it.

Imagine that. A company introducing a camera they hope to sell and make money. Of course it's a money grab! I'm a huge Leica fan but have never bought a single new item from them. So my old beater M2 I bought from Youxin who pulled it out of his junk drawer and fixed up for me never made them any profit nor did the used MP I bought about 7 years ago from Tamarkin (and am glad I did as it's appreciated nicely!) so they could not give a rat's ass how many used and capable M2/M3 and MP cameras are out in the world.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

Pathetic? I don't understand what's pathetic in a company producing and selling a film camera in 2014.

What a pathetic and transparent money grab. There are enough old film M's around to satisfy the needs of real photographers for sometime to come. This is a princess camera to be coddled and displayed on a shelf somewhere so people can oh and ah over it. Nothing more than the equivalent of a status car parked in the driveway to insure your neighbours see it.

 

[bdial]

Sales of used cameras doesn't exactly keep them in business, since they aren't the ones selling them.
Selling parts probably isn't a good income stream either since it might be 50+ years before many of the cameras need any.
I agree that many of these may simply end up on collector's shelves, but a new film camera, especially one that uses 35mm is a rare thing these days.
If Leica wanted to be practical, they could drop film cameras altogether but they've chosen not to do that. If anything, it would benefit the collectors if they did.
I think they deserve some credit keeping on with film cameras even though not many practitioners will be in a position to buy one new.

 

[Bill Burk]

Moderators, please merge these threads...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

That was a lame attempt to be funny.

Seriously. I asked my wife and she said no. She didn't even bat an eye.

 

[Slixtiesix]

What a pathetic and transparent money grab. There are enough old film M's around

Yes, but that´s the matter: they are old. Even if it´s Leica, they won´t last forever or keep going forever without service. So it´s nice that Leica maintains the supply of new camera´s, even if the used marked is stocked. I wish Hasselblad would think that way...

A new Rolleiflex TLR is also c. 5-6k $, as is a Linhof Technika.

 

[Nuff]

I just got M3 and I love using it, it is great camera. I wish I could afford the M-A, but I can't, maybe one day. I plan on getting another M with 35mm lens later down the track.

 

[pdeeh]

Moderators, please merge these threads...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

That was a lame attempt to be funny.

I thought it was funny Bill.

But then, the words "Leica" and "not taking oneself too seriously" aren't often seen in the same sentence ...

 

[ericdan]

I'm a happy owner of an M6 and planning on getting a second body sometime down the road. When that time comes I'll buy a new MP or M-A. I am really happy to see new film cameras still being produced and/or introduced and want to support that.

 

[Xmas]

Sales of used cameras doesn't exactly keep them in business, since they aren't the ones selling them.
Selling parts probably isn't a good income stream either since it might be 50+ years before many of the cameras need any.
I agree that many of these may simply end up on collector's shelves, but a new film camera, especially one that uses 35mm is a rare thing these days.
If Leica wanted to be practical, they could drop film cameras altogether but they've chosen not to do that. If anything, it would benefit the collectors if they did.
I think they deserve some credit keeping on with film cameras even though not many practitioners will be in a position to buy one new.

They never made many spares...

The last real finder they made was the M3s

The M2 finder and later clones - junk... they lost the market dominance to Canon and Nikon circa 59-60.

Bit like Kodak.

 

[film_man]

What a pathetic and transparent money grab. There are enough old film M's around to satisfy the needs of real photographers for sometime to come. This is a princess camera to be coddled and displayed on a shelf somewhere so people can oh and ah over it. Nothing more than the equivalent of a status car parked in the driveway to insure your neighbours see it.

Real photographers, ie the ones that make money from photography, can easily buy not just one but two of these new. If you are any good at the business forking out £3k for a new camera is nothing. Just look out how much a 5DIII costs and everyone has two and three of these plus they'll replace them in 3 years. On the other hand, you have fake photographers who tell themselves that true art is a beat up Leica and some film and since they are using just that they must be good at it even though they couldn't frame to save their lives.

 

[georg16nik]

What a pathetic and transparent money grab. There are enough old film M's around to satisfy the needs of real photographers for sometime to come.

So, the “real photographers” whisper in your head - “Leica are pathetic - its a money grab...”

Its no wonder what kind of “real photographers” do not have respect for one of the most legendary camera brands in the world.

...

 

[Xmas]

So, the “real photographers” whisper in your head - “Leica are pathetic - its a money grab...”

Its no wonder what kind of “real photographers” do not have respect for one of the most legendary camera brands in the world.

...

Canon and Nikon each have sold a larger number of cameras every year since 1960.

 

[andrew.roos]

One for the collectors. I suspect that most shooters who buy a new film Leica would prefer an MP, with a light meter, for about the same price.
(This is no reflection on those who prefer the older Ms without light meters. There are many excellent reasons to love those classics. I just don't see them applying to the new M-A).

 

[Xmas]

One for the collectors. I suspect that most shooters who buy a new film Leica would prefer an MP, with a light meter, for about the same price.
(This is no reflection on those who prefer the older Ms without light meters. There are many excellent reasons to love those classics. I just don't see them applying to the new M-A).

The MP (ie M6) light meter is unusable for some people, some people cannot use aperture priority (M7).

The new camera provides a choice for these others.

But if you use IXMOO no.

So back to M4-P, M4-2, M4, M2 or M3.

Leica have been excellent at marketing and upsetting real photographers.