[Leica] No R-10

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

What I'm hearing is:    Looking back in hindsight Leica in the past 2 years
- having put an amazing amount of research and development and money and
production and marketing into all kinds of new off the charts past cutting
edge Leica glass. Leica knows now that the time has some to come out with a
full frame M9 to get people using and buying it this cache of jewels as they
pile up on the shelves of camera stores like little treasure troves.

M glass: I don't think they'll be coming out with anything wider than the 18
for an optical reason but also they've just come out with enough new glass
for a decade its just time now to put all that stuff to work.
The 18 was very much due as photographers keep going wider and wider by the
year; the 18-35 was the standard over a decade ago.
At least a millimeter a month.
I'm going to assume when the M9 comes out with rather normal M6 pr MP frame
lines the 135 3.4 APO I love to use with be fully utilized. Not euthanized.
A 21mm is no longer wide.
Its in the middle of your zoom if you're using a DSLR.
And 18 isn't all the way to the left either. But close enough I'm sure.
Would not make me feel constricted.

Troubles on the coating of the f.95 sounds like what they told him to say.
Most of what he's saying does not sound so much in that category. Marketing
hype.
What's really going on we could guess and guess.
I'm thinking they're considering how many units (lenses) they're going to
sell at 10 grand $ each and maybe they have other priorities. Like making
money. Building gear people will buy. The fact that the Noct .95 exists in
somebody's mind and somebody's shot with one is great PR enough. Leica has
THE big boy lens. The fun part is not actually coming out with it.

The arrogance of them not coming out with a phony release date on the S2! I
think they feel they have the confidence of the pro community who know that
some day their camera will be in hand and its not going to be just another
vaporgear Fig Newton of someone else's imagination.. Just be happy when that
happens. Think about other stuff time will pass quicker.

- Stefan Daniel a man of great humor and an asset to any contingency.
We've heard him yearly at the LHSA meetings for over a decade. And missed
him over the past couple.

That the 4/3's format has not captured Leica's imagination is no wonder to
me. With everyone even Daddy's on Christmas morning moving from cropped to
24x36 its no wonder that an optical company whose slant is quality would not
be wasting its time.
Is there something wrong like too big with a 43.3mm image circle?
Barnack would argue.

A question
?
The name S2.
?
Its the name of the Fujifilm body for nikon glass which is been there done
that replaced last year by the S3 and the whole thing seems to be tanking.
Does "S" mean something in German we don't know about? Super? Zuper?
I think they need to get their S in gear and come out with an original name.
Or acronym to astound the imagination.
With numbers too!



Mark William Rabiner



> From: Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:07:07 +1000
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] No R-10
> 
> Hi folks. I was at the dinner where Stefan Daniel announced all of the 
> Leica
> news. One of my new forum friends translated for me while he posted to the 
> L
> Camera Forum as Stefan spoke. I have not read the rest of this thread and a
> few more details emerged later. I haven't read the forum threads yet 
> either.
> Anyway ignore if you want.
> Here is the summary as I recall the translations.  I have left out business
> dteails and other bits, just listing hardware items. I will report in 
> detail
> on all of my Leica adventures soon. I don't have my notes here but will 
> look
> for next time.
> Doug you need to look away right now!
> 
>> From Stefan Daniel:
> There will be no R10, no auto focus R.
> There will be a solution to allow use of current R lenses on some digital
> camera.
> This solution will not be ready by next Photokina.
> Leica is unhappy with current available four thirds sensors and does not
> plan a system camera for four thirds.
> There will be no new firmware for the DMR.
> Repairs for R8 and R9 are now having to use parts from broken cameras, but
> they will be able to fixed for a time.
> There will be no further versions of the M8 but there will be new firmware
> versions.
> You will still be able to get the current upgrade options.
> (my favourite and the vaguest) of course after the M8 must come an M9 and
> M10. We know that you want full frame sensor and we are looking at what is
> possible.
> The M lens line is now 'complete'
> The S2 is still in development and there is no production yet.
> Noctilux production has run into problems with some part of the coating
> processes and is delayed.
> 
> By the way got to shoot with Summilux 21 and Elmar 18 and M8.2 (a lot!)
> I have also never seen so much Leica product from users and Akadamie in one
> area. It would not be a Leica stack but instead a Leica mountain. At least
> 100 M8s for a start! 100's of 1000's of dollars I think!