Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/09/19

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Subject: [Leica] NO R solution @ Photokina
From: hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson)
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:21:51 +1000
References: <00af01cb5836$979d0740$c6d715c0$@earthlink.net> <C8BBFA76.3A7D%mark@rabinergroup.com>

Umm no . Firstly I think that the lawyers and Leica Camera might have
something different to say regarding Mr Lee's separation from the company.

Stefan Daniel did give official information and test cameras to some
prominent web site folks beforehand (like Luminous Landscape) who did not
leak.
Also Herr Daniel did confirm to users that the M9 was coming as early as mid
June last year. I was there. The same occasion when the R10 cancellation was
announced.
He also said that the 'suitable' solution for R lens owners would not be
before this photokina.

He made a list, you can check it twice. Next week you can check Santa's
words for umm non-core promises. Have you been naughty or nice?

The Panasonic cooperation will continue
More compact cameras to come
**
Leica is not going to offer MFT cameras
Leica may offer MFT lenses
MFT is an interesting system
Sensor size is a very limiting factor
**
Leica as Lens Supplier for Other Camera Systems
Patents needed are only swapped inside of the Japanese camera industry
Zeiss lenses are manufactured by Cosina who are seen as Japanese company
That way Zeiss receives the patents, Leica as German company does not
Leica's attempts to come to an agreement failed until now
Reverse engineering is legally too risky

There will be no digital SLR aka R10
But there will be - and we are working on this - a suitable solution how to
use R lenses digitally
It's very important to us, that owners of R lenses can take pictures
digitally in the near future
This solution will have nothing to do to with the S2

Leica has examined intensively which features and what price tag a R10 had
to have
Price would have been 6000 - 7000 Euro and it would have been far behind the
competitors
This would have been a solution for the existing customer base but not for
new customers
Therefore the R system is discontinued, the existing system runs out
There is no due date for the new solution
Indirect notes by Stefan Daniel to 35 mm full format
Definitely it's not going to be a SLR
**
The reasons for stopping the DMR were
Cooperation with Imacon now Hasselblad ended very abruptly
Sales figures were low (approx. 10% of M8/M8.2)
The DMR firmware will have no updates.

A LEICA M9 will come
Developing full format is technically very demanding because of the M lenses

We are one step further but still not there where we can announce the
camera

No more (M8) upgrades are planned
Dealers don't like upgrades as no additional sales are generated
The M8 upgrade constrained Leica M8.2 sales
Used cameras are entry level cameras thus attracting new customers to Leica
This would drop by future upgrade offers
**
Sensor Supplier
Kodak is prepared to Leica's needs, for example the special size of the S2
sensor
Other manufacturers like Sony only offer a fixed range of sensors



Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman


On 20 September 2010 07:35, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> Don't really think though that leaking stuff to bloggers is a way Leica has
> to pre set up a product announcement. I just think they're too old
> fashioned
> for that.
>
> The way the pre leaked the M9 was by firing their CEO who dared mention
> that
> one might be in the works, be at all possible to do, and that they'd ever
> have any plans to do one.
> "There will be no full frame Leica M forever."
> And then boom we got one.
> Now THAT'S BRILLIANT strategy.
>
> I think we need to not feel the rumor mill. By paying undo attention to it.
> It seems to me to be people who want attention.
> Read by wishful thinkers.
>
> --------------------
> Mark William Rabiner
> Photography
> mark at rabinergroup.com
>
>
>


Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] NO R solution @ Photokina)
In reply to: Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] NO R solution @ photookina)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] NO R solution @ Photokina)