Speaking Of Leica Film Bodies ...

guangong said:

Contemporary Leicas are worn as jewelry and status symbols. Leica is even trying same sales strategy with the Leica Watch. Except that their advertisement in the Wall Sreet Journal magazine fell flat…on opposite page of $12,000 Leica watch was an add for a $53,000 watch. Made Leica look cheap.

Click to expand...

Although people do wear Leica cameras as jewelry going into the business of making other types of jewelry won't work for Leica. It's has to do with optics. And thus for Nikon if they want to do a film camera it has to have interchangeable viewfinders and it has to be an SLR. Nikon rangefinders are good cameras but they won't sell very well.

I bought my first Leica (M3) in 1973. That was followed by an M4 and in 1996 an M6, which I use regularly and has worked perfectly without service so far. It's still my favorite travel camera, although I use a Hasselblad for most of my "projects." For sure not jewelry.

Leica stuff is beautiful. It's not jewelry for me. It's the least intrusive film camera I've used.

guangong said:

Contemporary Leicas are worn as jewelry and status symbols.

Click to expand...

Are we going to regurgitate this lame cliché? This is the drivel from dpreview.

Kodachromeguy said:

Are we going to regurgitate this lame cliché? This is the drivel from dpreview.

Click to expand...

Im not speaking of Leica cameras made by Leitz, but the current cameras made by those who have use of the Leica brand. I have never read dpreview. This is the opinion of many of us who love and use Leica cameras.
By the way, you may be interested in the Leica watch…it has a RED dot!

Kodachromeguy said:

Are we going to regurgitate this lame cliché? This is the drivel from dpreview.

Click to expand...

It's actually observably true in some quarters. There are people who wear Leica like they wear Prada. Leica figured this out and rereleased the M6 which sold like hotcakes.

This is not the same thing as saying that all or most Leica consumers are doing so for status, because most of us are not. But there is no denying that Leica - at least the camera/lens part of the company - has successfully transformed themselves into a lifestyle brand. Good for them. The longer they stay in business, the better it is for us who actually use this stuff.

Sirius Glass said:

I agree, but I am happier with the very capable and lighter F100. Before someone posts about the F100 door latch, note that I do not use any of my cameras as hammers.

I love the way Leica M series cameras feel when advancing the film and firing the lens but the rangefinder drawbacks have kept me from buying one.

Click to expand...

Everyone makes their personal choices. Years of working with LF, and various medium format cameras, each with their own quirks, has taught me just to concentrate on the image. If i'm carrying a big, heavy camera it's going to be medium format or larger. In 35mm i don't use SLRs ....I more than happy with the results from a Leica M and a lens or two.