Re: [Leica] Leica and 15 year old technology

[Mark <mark@steinberg.net>]

if i might just interject into this discussion. i like the m6
because it does not have any "new technology" in the body (well,
it does actually, the light meter electronics use a fancy ribbon
cable strip thingy and an IC, but that aside).

as a sometime professional computer programmer i have a distrust
of all things electronic. i know very well that electronics work,
and work well at that, my leica purchases are funded by my use
and reliance on electronics. yet it is the freedom from such
reliance that is so appealing about the m6.

it is an elderly analog machine in a newly digital world.

i'm quite sure that this simple proposition finds harmony in the
hearts of many purchasers. if we follow this pied piper to it's
destination we move away from motor drives, fancy metering,
autofocus, ultra sonics, etc, etc.

i know you folks are discussing the r8, and i'm thinking m6, yet
if we set aside "leica glass" we are left looking at the bodies,
attempting to distill their appeal, their essence, searching for
a way forward from their current success.

i wanted to offer a counterpoint to all this talk of catch up. to
a certain extent i think the boat left already.

another possibility for the future may be that one of the japanese
companies with deep pockets, matsushita (nikon) or canon might
buy a controlling interest in leica and carry it into the future.
if this happens i hope they have respect for purchasers like
me, who don't want a multimatrix newfangled autoeverything device
in our leicas (because we already have one in our camera bags).

mark