The new Leica M (continuos coverage)

By LR admin | Published: September 19, 2012

  • BJP interview with Stefan Daniel of Leica:

"There's no way that Leica will launch a below-£1000 compact system camera".

  • Dpreview interview with Jesko von Oeynhausen of Leica:

Q: Can you explain the nomenclature change, from M8, M9 to 'M'?

A: We don't want to give our customers the feeling that when the M10 comes out, for instance, that the M9 is suddenly the 'old' model and they have to buy the new one because the old one isn't good enough anymore. We decided that the continuous numbering concept is not the right thing for us in the long term. The Porsche 911 for instance has always been the Porsche 911. The Leica M is a timeless product, and this is what the naming should express.

  • Leica at Photokina 2012 Day 1 highlights video:

Check out highlights from the first day of photokina 2012, September 18, 2012 including a stop at our S-Studio and the Leica Hall of Fame with 2012 recipient Nick Ut.

Related posts:

  1. Leica “Das Wesentliche” event coverage
  2. Rumor: Leica will introduce a new R lens adapter for the upcoming digital M rangefinder
  3. Leica at Photokina 2012
  4. Leica @ Photokina coverage day 3+4
  5. Two new Leica cameras at Photokina 2012

This entry was posted in Leica M. Bookmark the permalink. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.
  • M!

    true, but you can tell the model year of a 911.
    from now on, you have to specify it as a 2013 Leica M, etc etc,

  • FED4-user

    Actually:
    Porsche 911 (1963–1989)
    Porsche 964 (1989–1993)
    Porsche 993 (1993–1998)
    Porsche 996 (1999–2005)
    Porsche 997 (2005–2011)
    Porsche 991 (2011– nowadays)

    • http://www.istockphoto.com/huntedduck David

      Good point on the numerical series of the 911

  • D800

    Leica is implying that this is the last camera they’ll ever make, because it is perfect. Really?

  • Nobody Special

    I’m just thinking of calling it the Mv (for video) or Mb (for M ‘bridge’ as in bridging to the R lens) I suppose with time we’ll get use to it.

  • Like Ah

    I think the M designation symbolizes the essence of buying Leicas. M for money. Lots of it.

  • http://twitter.com/ZDP189 ZDP-189

    From the coverage, anyone who didn’t know better might think that Leica had invented LiveView. It’s not ‘revolutionary’ and it’s not a reason to own (i.e. pay a premium for) a Leica M.

    Personally, I see the M’12 as the only FF body that can mount an M-lens and also has a rangefinder, with in a bit of style/cachet thrown in. The other manufacturers are not far behind. I can forsee a Sony CSC able to mount M lenses in the near future. A FujiFilm X-Pro with a FF sensor would be great, even if there’s no RF patch. CaNikon could surely do it too. These cameras can autofocus native lenses too (*spits and shakes head and grumbles about the youth of today*)

    What saddens me most is that Leica did not make their M as a shell with mount, controls and finder and have an internals and display as a user/factory upgradable internal module. That would mean Leica M users could have a body that held value and was continuously upgradable as technology changes. Now, THAT would have been revolutionary.

    Another thing they could have done to make the body truly revolutionary is to give contrast-detect autofocus. They could build an AF mechanism into the body, changing the register to bring subjects into focus. No, maybe that would have been too revolutionary. Leave that sort of thing to the white-coats at Pentax.

    • Nick

      You mean like the Contax AX?

      Contax were a cracking camera company – I used to have serious lust for the N1 and still have never handled a camera as nice as the 645AF.

  • Andrea La Rosa

    AF on a Leica M? Impossibile. It’s a philosophy problem, not a tecnical/pratical one.

    • E.

      +1 People still waiting from Leica M’s AF don’t understand the concept of a rangefinder camera. My advice for them is to change to other company or products.

      • jc

        i do agree !! just let the M be , or at least try it before comment on .

  • Dika

    Leica Is Missing The Whole Point About Photography..People Love Leica Cuz It’s Known For It’s Simplicity..ISO button, Shutter Speed Dial. Aperature Ring Dial And A Shutter Button..That Is All A Photographer Needs..The Leica M Is Just Wrong For Me..It Feels Like Any Technology Out There..Video With No IS?!?..I Don’t Think People Wanna Do A Video With A Leica M..The M9 Is Still A Classic..Even It Has A Crappy LCD..It Kinda Help People From Cimping..I Must Say Fuji is Doin It Right..They Are Almost There But Not There Yet..If Fuji Were To Released A REAL Digital Rangefider..I Think That’s It For Leica..”IF” The Fuji x-e1 Has The Same Focus Peaking Like The Leica M..It Will Be A Killer..Cuz To Me Focus Peaking Give That Almost Similiraties With Rangefinder Focusing Feel In A Digitalized Kinda Way..Leica Make Sale By Introducing The Leica CL For A Cheaper Alternative..So Leica..You Should Know What To Do..Cuz What I See Is Leica M5 History Repeating Itself..(:

    • Erik

      wHY aRE yOU uSING cAPITALS aT tHE bEGINNING oF eVERY wORD?

    • http://www.ob1ne.wordpress.com o.b.1ne

      ‘people love leica because of its simplicity’ yet your post is so hard to read. If you laid it out more simply maybe I would’ve read past that sentence. Maybe.

  • http://dickgmorris.blogspot.co.uk/ richgm

    I like it, Erik!

  • Ron

    1. What is the color space for the video? Is it 4:2:2?

    2. It give the option of MJpeg. What will be the bitrate?

    3. Any chance Leica ups their video component to 4k?

    There are thousands of semi to professional video enthusiasts. Leica could give the “4K holy grail” and corner the video market.

    • Greyfus

      Ron, I think the video is 4:2:2 , since i’ve looked up about the MJPEG codec and they say it is always 4:2:2… I hope that the Leica M can record MJPEG 4:2:2 1080p natively , then that would be a huge plus :)

      4K would be nice of course but I doubt they’ll do it now

  • Back to top