The affordable Leica is never going to happen..

guangong · Oct 4, 2022

Last week a Wall Street Journal Magazine advertisement summed it all up: a $14,000 watch that has the word “LEICA” on its face. Can’t get more boutique-ky than that.
True achievement for Leica will only be achieved when parity with the yachting when mandatory annual overhauls cost 1/4 the initial cost of camera.

Huss · Oct 4, 2022

guangong said:
Last week a Wall Street Journal Magazine advertisement summed it all up: a $14,000 watch that has the word “LEICA” on its face. Can’t get more boutique-ky than that.
True achievement for Leica will only be achieved when parity with the yachting when mandatory annual overhauls cost 1/4 the initial cost of camera.

It was still a fancy high end watch. It’s not like they took a Casio and stuck the Leica badge on it.
yes it is all marketing, but they are attaching their name to a high end item. And in the high end watch world, $14k is bargain basement!

Huss · Oct 4, 2022

brbo said:
Let's dream big. A Leica M-B (B for "it comes after A", B for Leica's idea of budget and B for people still going broke) and a CM.2.

I don't see much point in releasing another M mount film camera, but I guess I could see that new users want a meter. A premium priced P&S, though, is probably a very popular idea within Leica marketing department. On the other hand I don't see Leica pricing it bellow 1500 - 2000 EUR, so it will be interesting to see how popular this camera will be within the T2/T3 crowd.

There currently have been 22 limited edition M6 series. If Leica releases another M6, it will just be a slightly cosmetically different MP.
A CM makes far more sense, as there is a market for high end P&S cameras, it wouldn’t compete against the Ms, and it would be the only one out there.

madNbad · Oct 4, 2022

Huss said:
There currently have been 22 limited edition M6 series. If Leica releases another M6, it will just be a slightly cosmetically different MP.
A CM makes far more sense, as there is a market for high end P&S cameras, it wouldn’t compete against the Ms, and it would be the only one out there.

Maybe the embargo is how to get Kendall Jenner to pose with the new CM?

Huss · Oct 4, 2022

madNbad said:
Maybe the embargo is how to get Kendall Jenner to pose with the new CM?

That episode on Fallon w Jenner and the Contax was the one episode I saw when it actually aired. Interestingly her T2 was beat up which I thought was kinda cool. And then I thought - here we go, the prices are going to rocket!
thing is, she wasn’t posing or sponsored, Contax was already long gone as a company.

If it is a new CM that Leica releases, what would be the best way to get the word out? The Contax thing was kinda organic. Using someone like her now, where the person is obviously paid, may not be so appealing.

cliveh · Oct 4, 2022

Jim Jones said:
Most of the Leica gear bought new that I used regularly cost less than the film it consumed. That makes it more affordable than the film.

Then you are using far too much film. It is a Leica, not a machine gun.

Don_ih · Oct 4, 2022

Huss said:
If it is a new CM that Leica releases, what would be the best way to get the word out?

Why would they need to get the word out? Everyone who would potentially be interested is already eagerly awaiting anything they release. "Leica" may be photographically famous, but people who don't care about cameras don't have a clue what a Leica is.

Don_ih · Oct 4, 2022

cliveh said:
Then you are using far too much film. It is a Leica, not a machine gun.

You maybe should have looked at who you were responding to. I think he said previously he bought a IIIF new?

Sirius Glass · Oct 4, 2022

guangong said:
Last week a Wall Street Journal Magazine advertisement summed it all up: a $14,000 watch that has the word “LEICA” on its face. Can’t get more boutique-ky than that.
True achievement for Leica will only be achieved when parity with the yachting when mandatory annual overhauls cost 1/4 the initial cost of camera.

It would have had more class if it had the word "HASSELBLAD" on it.

Bill Burk · Oct 4, 2022

You know, the Leica Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 M-mount lens is always available for a reasonable price.

guangong · Oct 4, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
It would have had more class if it had the word "HASSELBLAD" on it.

View attachment 318049

Too many letters. Unless, of course, we really make it upscale by using letters so small as to be illegible.
Problem is that the number of Hassy nuts pales compared with the multitude of Leica nuts, so it would really have to be a specialty item.
I use both Hassy and Leics, sometimes even a Leitz lens on my 2000 FCM Hasselblad...a holdover from my long gone 1000F days.

Sirius Glass · Oct 4, 2022

guangong said:
Too many letters. Unless, of course, we really make it upscale by using letters so small as to be illegible.
Problem is that the number of Hassy nuts pales compared with the multitude of Leica nuts, so it would really have to be a specialty item.
I use both Hassy and Leicas, sometimes even a Leitz lens on my 2000 FCM Hasselblad...a holdover from my long gone 1000F days.

If Victor Hasselblad's initials are added then it would be twelve characters and one would be put in place of the numbers 1 through 12.

MattKing · Oct 4, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
If Victor Hasselblad's initials are added then it would be twelve characters and one would be put in place of the numbers 1 through 12.

And you would never be able to figure out what time it was.

Sirius Glass · Oct 4, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
If Victor Hasselblad's initials are added then it would be twelve characters and one would be put in place of the numbers 1 through 12.

MattKing said:
And you would never be able to figure out what time it was.

Why? I have an Omega Seamaster that does not have numbers at all, just straight pieces of metal that radiate from the center.

Pieter12 · Oct 4, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
Why? I have an Omega Seamaster that does not have numbers at all, just straight pieces of metal that radiate from the center.

Obviously, a relic from a privious era when there were people who could read analog watches.

Huss · Oct 4, 2022

Don Heisz said:
Why would they need to get the word out? Everyone who would potentially be interested is already eagerly awaiting anything they release. "Leica" may be photographically famous, but people who don't care about cameras don't have a clue what a Leica is.

A CM would appeal to the Contax T2T3 crowd who have no idea what Leica is doing because they have no interest because Leicas are not P&S cameras. Unless they release a new CM.
So it behoves them to get the word out if it is a new P&S.

If it is just another M6, then no.

Steven Lee · Oct 4, 2022

I just want an M7 with 1/4000s top shutter speed and - yes I'm one of those people - the Leica engraving on the top plate. That would be my dream Leica. If they made 0.85 and 0.72 versions, I'd be getting one of each and leaving my 35mm GAS behind for good.

BradS · Oct 4, 2022

I'm prepared to be wildly disappointed.

Huss · Oct 4, 2022

Steven Lee said:
I just want an M7 with 1/4000s top shutter speed and - yes I'm one of those people - the Leica engraving on the top plate. That would be my dream Leica. If they made 0.85 and 0.72 versions, I'd be getting one of each and leaving my 35mm GAS behind for good.

I love the M7. There are only two things I want changed on it. Like you the 1/4000 shutter. 1/8000 would be even better like in my R9. And to just get rid of the DX reader. So no stooopid flashing little red light in the VF if you change film speed rating , use a non dx roll etc

Steven Lee · Oct 4, 2022

@Huss oh yeah, I've forgotten about that stupid thing. I wouldn't get rid of the reader though, just fix the buggy implementation. Good call!

NB23 · Oct 4, 2022

Guys, it’s going to be a P&S alla Leica Q.

madNbad · Oct 4, 2022

NB23 said:
Guys, it’s going to be a P&S alla Leica Q.

It should be. Just look at how the prices have jumped over the last few years. It may be a passing trend but there are enough young buyers looking for a T2 equivalent.

Huss · Oct 4, 2022

NB23 said:
Guys, it’s going to be a P&S alla Leica Q.

I'd buy it if it is. If it is another M6 - which would be an MP painted to look like an M6 - then no as I already have an MP.

The one reason I think it will be a P&S is supposedly it's been out in the field for the last 9 months being tested by select photogs. If it was an M6, zero need to do that.
So sounds like an all new camera. Hmm.

I have two high end P&S cameras - the amazing Rollei QZ35W with its 1/8000 - 16 sec shutter, killer lens and Ti build. And the Fuji Klasse W with its sweet 28mm lens.
The Rollei is really large and pretty noisy, but feel very responsive. And even though it is really big, it has a massive external add on flash with no option to use any other type of flash due to the proprietary connectors.
The Fuji while really nice n compact feels cheap even though it has a metal skin. It's also really noisy and slow to load. Has very slow AF (my Fuji Work Record at 1/10th the price has much quicker AF), and you cannot see the exposure info in the VF in daylight. Excellent exp compensation dial which I use a lot.

If the new Leica CM has the Fuji's size and built in flash, but the features and build of the Rollei, along with that excellent Summarit lens, then yup.

There are zero P&S cameras made at the moment. The reusable fixed focus 35s from Ilford, Kodak etc are not that. The sometimes available Lomo LC-A w zone focus is not that (I had one, cool-ish camera but once the novelty wore off - within the first roll of film - done). A Leica CM would be the only player.

crafmatic · Oct 4, 2022

NB23 said:
Guys, it’s going to be a P&S alla Leica Q.

I love mine as much as I love my M3

NB23 · Oct 4, 2022

They’d make it with a 40mm lens: Just half-assed enough not to cannibalize the M lenses.

And then another one with a 26mm lens.

I’d buy one of each, for my nonchalant everyday shooting as well as for when I travel to difficult places, for when the M camera needs to stay safe, at the Hotel.

The affordable Leica is never going to happen..

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