An interesting article in the Austrian newspaper DiePresse.com (in English) about Andreas Kaufmann (Chairman of the board at Leica Camera). One of the quotes, referring to the Leica M9:
"The camera is sold out for months. We will probably produce more than twice as many as planned."
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Meaning they could sell the beauty much cheaper because they could have lower profit margins … outsch!
and I would guess a decent R10 would have the same effect on sales!
L. is just wasting this opportunity….
Leica is what it is because of it’s price level and exclusivity, including it’s build quality , feel and design. I love my M9 and my D-Lux4, but opted out of the X-1 because of the light plasticy feel despite that I have seen excellent photos taken with it. I am happy that Leica has market for twice the number of M9, but think that they should produce only at a rate which the build quality can be kept, and the price should stay constant.
Für die Photokina im heurigen Herbst „könnte es“, sagt Kaufmann, „ein, zwei neue Produkte geben.
For this year’s Photokina in autumn “there could be” – says Kaufmann – “one or two new products”.
Take a really small number and double it… its still a small number.
In the meantime folks spend their money elsewhere and Leica misses sales opportunities. Build quality is good and my M6 is still going strong…but… my Nikons never give me any problems either and that’s where my $$$ have been going (and some nice Zeiss glass too).
Unlike my D700 the M6 and M9 are hardly “all weather” cameras and that holds them back for my purposes…
So we keep waiting…
Unless it is impossible to adapt all those R series lenses out there I wonder if the remainder of the M9 market is waiting for M10 after witnessing the comparably short cycle of the M8. I know had I invested in a M8 after witnessing the discontinuation of R series digital back and the Digilux, I’d be a bit circumspect.
I am sure the M10 is in the works. I have the M9 and love it; I am glad I had it for all those Kodak moments (or, shall we say, SanDisk moments). If you keep waiting around for the next big thing when it comes to a digital camera, you’ll never buy anything! I also own the Nikons (both D700 and D300); I don’t what you could have possibly spent money on with respect to Nikon cameras since they haven’t come out with a FX camera in I don’t even remember how long (I tried the Nikon D3000 as a light-weigt point-n-shoot but that was a disaster of a camera). Nikon has, however, come out with some decent glasses since then (nothing that challenges the Leica, with the exception of the new 24mm AF-S).
I haven’t taken my M9 to any extreme weathers, but I did take my M6 and my D700 to the arctic where it was 50 below zero and constant blizzard. At that temperature, the D700 ceased to perform and the large lens surfaces was troublesome to keep clean. The electronics can only operate to 20 below zero. That was when I turned to my all mechanical M6 (and my Hasselblad C/M 500), both operated beautifully in those conditions. The small lens surface of my Elmarit ASPH 28mm and Summicron 50mm (both at 39mm thread) was much easier to keep clear during a blizzard (as opposed to the Nikon wide-angled and normal lenses that had a much larger surface area to guard).
Ulich’s quote is much more interesting! Everybody agrees upon the first product (rebranded Panasonic LX5), but what could be the second one, if there is one? Any ideas, Xavier?
Possibly Summicron 50mm ASPH?
I think Leica is following the Apple comeback strategy. First reducing product lineups and inventory while building brand mistique. Seeing cameras appreciating after shortages or discontinuation. Build anticipation for reintroductions or new models.they reduce risk and create sellouts and shortages. Scarcity rules.