Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/10/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I thought this one up in St. Louis last week during a conversation about wood chips in the state of Washington. Pot shot shooting season is open but i know a good idea when i see one. Or think of one: In a way the M series is a bit of a failure because with the exception of the CL they are not going to fit in many pockets and will not be with you. They are just too big and heavy. The Barnack camera is all about being with you and pocketable I think. That idea should have been stuck to. Yes I know a Cosina CL is coming but let's talk Leica the company. The new CM i think is going to be a sensation. http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/compact/cm/tecdat/index_e.html It's design is perfect; the right size. It's made out of titanium. It lights up and says "kiss me baby" as far as I go but has manual override. The 40 mm f/2.4 LEICA SUMMARIT (6 elements in 4 groups) with improved multi-layer coating is just what this doctor ordered. Its going to fly putting Leica in the black blacker than Ilfords Varigram in Amidol selenium toned in warm 1:31 for 12 minutes and dried on an organic plastic dryer screen in a gentle Spring breeze. Stage II. The CM comes out in a model, due to popular demand, with little gems of interchangeable Leica lenses which cutely bayonet on and off. A 28 and a 90 perhaps the 90 being taken from the old be excellent CL design. These lenses are 25 percent cheaper than M lenses and 40 percent smaller and lighter. They have concave outer elements perhaps and say "ASPH". Maybe "apo." Most importantly they are not set way back so they cannot be used with digital grabbers like the classic M system. Stage III. The digital version of this camera comes out 6 months later with a 5 month warning and with the CM lenses being able to be used on it. So we have a Mini M system. Digitally able. Ably digital. Analogly amiable. The regular M system we'll call the M system classic. The non TTL will become the Leica M classic classic. But in a way the mini M (CM) is closer in size to the LTM screw mount cameras and in the very important size respect more of a Barnack camera then the now "classic". ANd more of a camera system i think we can all can use more often. And will sell like blueberry hotcakes. Feel free Herr Cohen to steal this idea! Just give me one of the cameras and a lens or two. I'll volunteer to put my "Helmut Newton" on it if they need such a thing. Mark Rabiner Portland, Oregon USA http://www.rabinergroup.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html