Friday, September 28, 2012

LEICA M – A CLOSER LOOK




The new Leica M is without question one of the most exciting new products shown at this year’s Photokina in Cologne.  As time goes on, we will see tests, comparisons, write-ups and opinions regarding this new camera.  Of course along with all of that there will also be some critical voices, complaining about a variety of things. 



Already the ‘complainers for the sake of complaining’ are making their voices known.  Just this morning I read a slew of them who apparently had nothing else to criticize than the red Leica logo in front of the New M.  Some complained that it is too big, others want it in black and then some want no logo at all.  If those silly comments are all they can come up with, I guess Leica is in very good shape with this new camera.



Of course there are some more serious criticisms as well.  Some don’t like the video function, some don’t think the R adapter is a valid solution to the use of R lenses, and, of course there are the old traditionalists that feel the camera is too overloaded with features, the ones that want a bare bones, basic camera.

Just because the camera has certain features that are of no interest doesn’t mean one has to use them, and for the traditionalists there is always the M-E.  We must not forget that Leica cannot forever rely on their traditional customer base.  In order to remain a viable member of the photographic market, it is necessary to widen the appeal of the camera to photographers that previously have chosen other makes of cameras.  I have never seen any valid criticism regarding the Leica M lenses.  Most people are well aware of their market leading performance.  In many cases it has actually been the camera that has kept many of them from investing in the Leica system. In this respect Leica has taken a giant step forward and I am sure that the new Leica M will be able to build on the success that Leica had with the groundbreaking M9, announced in late 2009.



To get a better insight into the M, please look at the Red Dot Forum.  They published a very informative interview with Leica M product manager Jesko von Oeynhausen.  It offers a closer look at what the Leica M is all about.  The interview can be seen here:
http://www.reddotforum.com/content.php/285-Photokina-2012-Red-Dot-Forum-Interview-with-Jesko-von-Oeynhausen



 For more information on the Leica M, go to:

THE NEW LEICA MAX 24MP CMOS SENSOR

UPDATES ON THE NEW LEICA M

THE NEW LEICA M

THE NEW LEICA M ACCESSORIES

LEICA M vs. LEICA M10 RUMORS




5 comments:

  1. I noticed that the center window of the rangefinder on the M is missing. Wasn't that used to illuminate the viewfinder framelines?

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    1. You are correct. The illuminator window is missing. It used to gather existing, ambient light to illuminate the viewfinder frame. Subsequently, the brightness of the frames was dependent on the level of illumination which sometimes led to dimly lit frames under available light condition. The frame lines in the new Leica M are illuminated by LEDs with provision to have the framelines show in white or red. The new system is a definite improvement.

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  2. They made one hell of an impressive camera.

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  3. What's so impressive about it? What does that camera offer that isn't avaolable with other makes of cameras?

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  4. The Leica M is the only camera, ever, that combines electronic focusing with rangefinder focusing. The Leica M is the only camera that is made with the substantially tighter tolerances, tolerances that exceed any other camera manufacturer, necessary to be able to take full advantage of the superior performance of the Leica lenses. The Leica M is the only camera on the market that combines the wealth of features offered in one single camera body and it is doing it with a size that is also unmatched.

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