Leica M: object of desire?

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

Reason for writing this email is the latest piece of text in Viewfinder. 
The LHSA persons who talked to the Leica people gave their ideas/advice 
about future directions of the M and R line.  None of their suggestions 
are new, commercial viable or make the M a better product. The idea of a 
two tier approach (wide angle M and tele M) has been tried by Rollei with 
disastrous results (not for the collector but for the company). And Leica 
did it in earlier days with the M2/M3 pair. But  nobody wants to hang two 
Leicas around his neck just to use a 35mm and a 90mm. 
One can view the Leica from two angles: as an object of desire or as a 
photographic instrument. The first view is the collectors approach. The 
second one of a person who needs a photographic job done and wants the 
best available intrument/tool. As there are about 2000 collectors Leica 
must consider this group an interesting market. But the 100.000 or so M6 
models that have been left the factory are not all bought by people who 
are fans/admirers of the product. Some I suspect would try to make 
pictures. If the Leica M line has a future it must be developed along 
lines that will make it an excellent photographic tool for a certain kind 
of deployment (ruggedness, optical quality)  or a certain kind of 
photography (impulsive, direct-vision photography). I personally think 
that is what Oddmund tried to explain. It does not make sense just to 
admire a product without actually using it in the ways it has been 
designed for. 
Many Leica users praise Leica products as excellent tools, but are not 
interested  in producing the kind of pictures the Leica is designed for. 
Which is a pity. Looking at the Viewfinder pictures I can not imagine 
that these photos exploit the optical capabilities of the Leica lenses 
(any of them). Some observers of the Leica scene have actually asked 
attention for the cruel fate of most Leica lenses: having very good 
optical qualities and designed for heavy duty use,  most are boxed and 
shelved on collectors tables. As a sideline: I once took pictures with my 
Summarit on a Leica collectors day. Some of them approached me with the 
following question: "I own one (or five) Summarits, but have never taken 
a photograph with it. You do and therefor can you tell me about the 
optical qualities?". 
The new R8 is designed as a photographic instrument and not as a product 
with just a strong historical background and a loyal group of followers. 
It is designed for a new generation of photographers. And it is a joy to 
use. Luckely the designers did not fall in the old Contarex trap 
(designing a superior mechanical and optical product that is impossible 
to use in the real world). 
If the Viewfinder persons would have their way we would get a new Mx, 
that would become the Contarex of the rangefinder line. (and Marc could 
write a book about the misfortunes of the Mx). 
It is clear that products have to be made for use: the strong growth in 
binoculars and projectors (both non-collectables)  and the relative 
decline of the M-line is a sure sign that the market is changing. 
I have discussed these matters with Leica managers and they are well 
aware of this dilemma. 
We als Leica users can comment on the future directions of the company, 
but now that Viewfinder seems to have appointed itself as the authority 
to speak on behalf of  Leica users (?) I wonder if somebody out there 
will care to listen. The Viewfinder view is the collectors view and not 
the market view. 
The LUG evidently has the potential to evolve into a real international 
platform, but till now it is dominated by the USA region. 

Thanks for bearing with me this far.
Erwin Puts