If I had 8k (or 2k for that matter) and wanted a camera, these two would be pretty much at the bottom of my list. Lets see... for just over 2k I could get a 5D mkII, or for 8k I could get a 1Ds mk whatever and still have enough left over for a couple L series lenses. Both are full frame cameras, both are excellent and built like tanks, and both will probably see more use than any Leica ever will.
@knyghtryda: Its more like "if I had 25k" because you'll need some more Leica goodness to get anything done with that 8k$ camera. Oh, and if you're a pro, then add another body and a couple more lenses...
You people failed to understand Leica. They don't care about growth. They only care about the status quo. They want to generate enough returns so that they have steady jobs and income. They don't want to grow into a large company.
I've got no problems with what they do, what I fail to understand is the person who has seven thousand dollars to dump on something... so... unimpressive.
And for seven thousand dollars, this little peice of equipment would have to get used more than anything else in my camera bag (not that I have a whole lot of equipment) but to justify a price tag like that, it had better get tons of use. Which, surely, it would not. It's a decoration. It's something you have to say you have, use a few times, and put back on the shelf.
You really have to be rolling in money, the kind of guy that buys a 20,000 dollar watch to go with that new suit and wear twice a year. The guy that buys serious art. several million dollar plus home, kind of guy. It's a ton of money for a toy or a status symbol.
@Adam Spano: The M8 is used by photojournalists making a living the world over. The M9 basically answers calls from the users of the M8 for FF, ISO-set button, and a few other features. The M9 gives you FF digital access to the Leica M-lenses - which are some of the finest lenses in the world, bar none.
Insofar as purchasing it, tt's similar to buying a 1Ds, really - sometimes that's the tool you need for the job.
The IQ means that it's neither a toy nor a status symbol (though of course it can be used as both).
@cmdrfire: Honestly, most photojournalists seem to have the same Canons and Nikons and Panasonics that everyone else does.
I have no interest in the M9 personally (for my snapshooting I can use a pocket digital if I really want to.) One can buy a Voigtlander Bessa R series for around $600 so you can save $1,400 and shoot film. ;-)
@Noobs-R-Us: I think I'll stick to my Canon XSi for now... until I can afford to get the 5d MkII. Leica makes good looking cameras, but I just can't take them seriously. My wife and I are trying to earn some money on the side with photography, and I just don't think I could imagine a "Professional" photographer snapping up my thousand dollar portraits with something that looks like a mid range camera from the sixties. Of course, this is all just my opinion, not meant to offend anyone else.
@Pope John Peeps II: Holy shit, this is exactly what was going through my head as I scrolled down to post a comment. That was a little creepy, pope-ster.
the x1 would almost be worth it, if it wasn't a fixed lens. Now if it had interchangeable lenses, running the same system as the M, well, then we could talk.
@awwwsnap: I get the joke but honestly it wasn't until after WW2 that they started getting their prestige. Sure they invented the 35mm camera (using available movie film stock) it was Contax that really reigned supreme with the Contax II and III.
Still, in those days most in America who bought 135 bought Arguses.
Um...I can give my current inexpensive Panasonic camera the exact same added features and value as any triple-the-price Leica. At Office Depot I'll get a pack of those stick-on red dots. Done.
@bosskev:
Which current inexpensive Panasonic camera? Just curious. Cause some of the Lumix line actually do have corresponding leica models that are THE SAME. (but more expensive.)
That's the standard added grip for Leicas. Is it possibly a rebranded and slightly reconfigured GF1? I'd be extremely impressed if Leica took the resources to create essentially a new system on its own without Panasonic's help. But if that were the case, I wouldn't expect to be able to afford it.
M9 specs match up with current rumors so that looks likely.
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Everything they do says that.
09/09/09
I've got no problems with what they do, what I fail to understand is the person who has seven thousand dollars to dump on something... so... unimpressive.
And for seven thousand dollars, this little peice of equipment would have to get used more than anything else in my camera bag (not that I have a whole lot of equipment) but to justify a price tag like that, it had better get tons of use. Which, surely, it would not. It's a decoration. It's something you have to say you have, use a few times, and put back on the shelf.
You really have to be rolling in money, the kind of guy that buys a 20,000 dollar watch to go with that new suit and wear twice a year. The guy that buys serious art. several million dollar plus home, kind of guy. It's a ton of money for a toy or a status symbol.
09/09/09
Insofar as purchasing it, tt's similar to buying a 1Ds, really - sometimes that's the tool you need for the job.
The IQ means that it's neither a toy nor a status symbol (though of course it can be used as both).
09/09/09
I have no interest in the M9 personally (for my snapshooting I can use a pocket digital if I really want to.) One can buy a Voigtlander Bessa R series for around $600 so you can save $1,400 and shoot film. ;-)
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Fucking danish.
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"ITS CRAP BECAUSE:
-doesn't have HD video
-doesn't have live view
-doesn't have autofocus
-doesn't have image stabilizer"
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Still, in those days most in America who bought 135 bought Arguses.
09/09/09
Put a telephone in that thing, Leica!
09/09/09
Um...I can give my current inexpensive Panasonic camera the exact same added features and value as any triple-the-price Leica. At Office Depot I'll get a pack of those stick-on red dots. Done.
09/09/09
Which current inexpensive Panasonic camera? Just curious. Cause some of the Lumix line actually do have corresponding leica models that are THE SAME. (but more expensive.)
09/09/09
Leica C-LUX 2 = Panasonic DMC-FX30
Leica V-Lux 1 = Panasonic DMC-FZ50
09/09/09
x1 is 2k
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[en.wikipedia.org]
09/02/09
M9 specs match up with current rumors so that looks likely.
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08/31/09