Leica - where to now?

[jtk]

Barnack designed around 35mm film, was excited about the FILM's potential. He wasn't a philosopher.

 

I think excellent design and craftsmanship came naturally in Western Europe in his era, it wasn't Barnack's special hallmark. He'd undoubtedly have used injection moulded plastic if it was available.

 

If Barnack was designing around digital today he wouldn't emulate a 35mm camera unless he was determined to appeal to old guys like me.

 

The Digilux 2 has NOT had true "rave reviews." After all, it's terrible above 200ei, like all the other P&S and is near-incompetent with RAW. With the possible exception of optics, it's not even competitive with the Canon G5/G6 (which, remarkably, have better viewfinders).

 

Canon could use Leica to offer an upgrade on the G6, adding better three-bright-frame optical viewfinder, two or three position Elmar neo-zoom or prime, using Canon's better-than-Digilux body construction, and an upgraded sensor (surely Canon has something between their little 8mp sensor and the full frame sensor, or they could simply buy into the Kodak/Fuji 4/3...as used by Olympus).

 

Obviously Canon would only want Leica along for the ride if they felt they could sell a bunch of $1500-2000 8mp-or-better 800ei-or-better/low noise bright-frame "rangefinders." I'd buy one for sure, what about you?

[syuji_honda]

10 mega pixel Digital M body for $1,000. That will do it.

[nzdavid]

Canon seems to be leading the way in digital - something Erwin Putts acknowledges on his

site. And that 10MP M would be good! But me, every time I pick up a Leica M I find it is an

entrancing and very satisfying camera! I am sticking with film!