[Leica] Re: M8 review, M9 anticipation

[montoid at earthlink.net (Montie)]

I quite agree, Nathan.  Clever marketing serving the 
quest for increasing the "bottom line" seems to overload 
bona fide technical advancement at times.  

The target is always that sizable segment of picture takers 
(pro and amateur) who feel challenged unless they're using 
the latest gear...as if that could give them a better handle 
on the discipline  ;-)

Montie

>>I think the whole obsolescence argument is overdone. I am happily using 
a Canon 1D Mark II, bought second-hand in 2005 and released (I think in 
2004). There is Mark III now, and I am sure there will other models 
within the next year. So what? The camera has a shutter rated at 200000 
exposures; between me and the first owner we have taken about 50000 
pictures with it, so from a mechanical point of view it should continue 
to function just fine for quite a while. And the key thing is that my 
pictures taken with it do not suddenly get worse just because a new 
model has been released.

Clearly, no digital camera will ever match the useful life of an M3. But 
on the other hand, to say that the useful life of a modern DSLR is equal 
to the product release cycle is simply bunk.

Nathan