New Leicas

This is the M-E - same sensor and specs as M9 but a different look (different finish and no frameline selector):

I'll be very interested in reading the details. The ME seems not to be an M9 which still shows up in the line-up. Now M, ME, M9, M9P etc. The Leicas are lovely.Thanks for the heads up.

The new M - not too bad at the front but the rear is horrible. It has live view and can also shhot video, which will be sacrilege to many Leicaphiles

From what I understand the M9 will be discontinued Clay. UK price for the M-E will be about £3100. The new M will be £5100. The new S will I guess be somewhere north of £20K.

£3,900

Oh well - only £800 out! In the world of Leica that's pocket money!

But important for M9 used values :-)

Interesting that they have readopted the old M8 body shape by only stepping down on one side and keeping the top flush.

I always preferred that and find the M9 a bit compromised there given that there is no need for a rewind knob....and the fact that the M8 does better B&W. 

Indeed - but as an M9 owner, I think (and hope) that the 9 will hold its value reasonably well after an initial dip - after all the M9 seems to be a more "purist" Leica than the new M.

This is the new M back... don't like its aesthetics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_4xHIqU4t8

Compromised or what?

Interesting vid - there are some quite interesting features. Wonder what the battery life's like?

Leica being Leica, they've also bought out a limited edition version for collectors/those with more money than sense.

Behold the X2 Paul Smith edition: absolutely horrible

So, are Fuji going to clean up with their assault on Leica's aspirational market with the original X-Pro 1 (and possible 2?) and the new X-E1. (I'm defo looking at one of the latter myself when they're available, what's not to like?)

Don't get me wrong, I like Leica and regularly shoot with a Digilux 2, but I've always baulked at the costs of M system ownership as would find it hard to justify, when I can get (IMO) quite decent pics with my other gear.

Even quite commited members over on the Leica forum are wavering...

I don't know who should get the bigger beating, PS for coming up with it or the Leica exec who signed it off.

And I made sure to crop the piccie out of the quote!

John

Fits the business model of newspaper sites, where the amount of time spent on the site by users generates more ad revenue.

Chris

Hi Jamie

I think things like the X-Pro 1 and X-E1 are definitely going up against things like the Leica X2 (which, from what I've heard, has not sold too well) and V-Luxes and D-Luxes, but the gap in quality between the M series and the Fujis/Pannys/Sonys etc is just too big.

With the M series, Leica has an entire market (rangefinders) to itself - a market that nobody else is likely to enter either. The M cameras are all hand made in Germany, Leica are not a big company. The M9 is one of their best-selling cameras and it has sold less than 40,000 units in three years.

The M is expensive and offers a completely different shooting experience from anything else - and the lenses are the very best you can buy. The first time I ever used an M (an M6) I knew this was the way for me - I loved the simplicity of using it, the way you are forced to compose in your head before putting the camera up to your eye, just the whole rangefinder experience. I got rid of my D7000 and four lenses and got an M9 and one lens and have never looked back - it's so much fun.

Me too...40mm Summicron solely on the M8. To me this is a perfect combination of minimal 'kit' and maximum flexibility, where it's your minds eye that has to do the work. G

Agree with Kevin and Graeme. I have an M6 so film not digital and I don't really have a photographers talent but an M is a joy to use and, often enough, a shot comes out that would fool you into thinking I know what I'm doing.

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit, there.

Incidentally, quite a lot of full frames announced at the photokina. I used to shoot Leicas (had 2 M6s), now with Nikon, but I have to say Sony's A99 and RX1 are looking very tempting... Recently got to play with a Nex and that was probably the most enjoyable photographic equipment I've used since switching from slides to digital. 

Cheers,

EJ

Yeah the RX1 is being panned as somewhat pointless. But it looks pretty on the ball to me! (Assuming IQ will be up there and I had a couple of grand to drop on it). Trouble is, it's a Sony...Not a Leica. Not even a Fuji...So however good, it will probably have a battle to be taken seriously. Could be one of those cameras that in 5 years, people say "Do you remember..." and turns into a classic, sought after piece. Could be a landmark, could be a dud. I like what it stands for though.

What I don't get so much are the 6D and the D600. If you're going to make 'cheaper' full frames then make them properly cheaper (unless there's a cunning plan here for folks to day, nah, only a few hundred quid more for the 5D iii/D800, I'll get the 'proper' one). Especially as you can get a 5d mark ii for less!

So anyway, I wanna go to Photokina and play with:

A 5D Mark iii (and the 28-70 mark 2)

An M

An M-e

An X-E1

An RX1

Kevin, I have tried an X-Pro 1 and a couple of the lenses. I kid you not, they take fabulous pictures. Ergonomics need to be improved (I prefer the x100) and that's where the user experience of an M scores big time I'm sure. But it's not like it's bad or very far off, it's nice, just not a 'Blimey!" experience.

From what I've read though (but of course not tried myself) the X-E1 is nicer to handle (albeit with EVF only) and has all the good Fuji bits but with improvements on the previously not so good bits, like speedier, more accurate AF, proper Fn button etc.. Kind of like Fuji have been listening and  learning lots over the last couple of years and used their learning effectively, more so perhaps than Canon, Nikon and Leica. Then you can stick those great Fuji X series lenses on, I think it's going to be a killer.

However, I get your point. Leica users will still buy Leica 'cos it works.

Hi Jamie, have you tried the Olympus OM-D E-M5? Competitive price with the X-Pro 1 and a much wider selection of (IMO) much better lenses. I've tried both the Fuji and the Olympus and the Olympus destroys the Fuji. Although the ergonomics are nowhere near as good as Leica's. At some point I'll process the pics I took and put 'em up.