tony_rocha Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I guess many of us are still pining for the MP, although the MP6 with the leicavit is the one that we really want. But in another few months we will be into 2004, which as you know is the 50th Anniversay of the M3! How would you like Leica to celebrate this important landmark in their history? My own wish is that they produce a back to basics totally manual rangefinder camera like the M2R, with uncluttered frame lines, but without compromising quality. Hopefully, this will be priced at a level which would welcome the budding young photographer into the Leica fold. I think there isn't enough young blood among the lot of us and it is always encouraging to see young people like Daniel (who recently purchased his dream M6) bit by the Leica bug. If Leica is to survive in the long run, they need to capture a wider and younger market. Would you like to share your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kastner Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I wouldn't mind them inviting me out for a big glass of Molson's Ale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkie Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 how young is Young? 15, 20, 30? and what is the demographic of the standard Leica user? 40 - 50+? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bds1 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I hope you're right Tony, but I expect the solms gnomes will put out something expensive that comes in a wooden box :-( B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron_l Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 >>"Hopefully, this will be priced at a level which would welcome the budding young photographer into the Leica fold."<< Let me get this straight. You want Leica to introduce a 50th anniversary edition M priced to allow younger users access to the camera? Great idea but I wouldn't hold your breath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucien1 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 A beautiful MP3 with a meter cell, please.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_r._fulton_jr. Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 >>>I hope you're right Tony, but I expect the solms gnomes will put out something expensive that comes in a wooden box :-( B<<<< I got a big chuckle out of the forum person a few weeks ago who compared the Leica wooden ("presentation") box to a coffin. How true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manu_vermeiren Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 <i>I think there isn't enough young blood among the lot of us <br> </i> uh... what? Speak for yourself! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 <<How would you like Leica to celebrate this important landmark in their history?>> 1) Engrave "50th Anniversary M" on an MP covered with fake Mongoose hide and have a total of 50 of them, each painted a different shade of the grayscale from black to white, wrapped in a copy of the Wetzlar Gazette from 1954 and packed in a steel ammo case welded shut at the factory so it can't be accidentally opened and the camera touched by human hands. This should satisfy the collectors. 2) Offer to retrofit all M7's with the MP rangefinder fix for $50. (This should help keep from blowing off a bunch of heretofore loyal customers like myself.) 3) Introduce a 12+ megapixel full-frame digital M works fit into an M-Motor casing and replacement back compatible with any motor-compatible M body. (This should help put them back into the camera business). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert_smith Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 <I>...is the 50th Anniversay of the M3! How would you like Leica to celebrate this important landmark in their history?</I><P> Besides photography, in my spare time I play guitar, usually Fenders. A couple of years back, the Fender celebrated its 50th anniversary. They did not waste time on a "special" model to mark the occasion. They instead did something else, and released a CD of music made with Fender guitars from that 50 years, from Buddy Holly to Clapton, country to rock, surf to grunge. Listening to the CD made me want to play my guitar, something that drooling over a photo of some �special edition� model wouldn�t be as effective at. For the guitar, it is about the music, and for the camera it should be about the images.<P> Maybe Leica would do well to just produce a coffee table book of photography made with the M over the last 50 years, from every genre of subject matter. Someone made great photos with all of the cameras since the M3 to the M7, and viewing a compilation showing the potential of these cameras, rather than wishing for a camera that doesn�t exist might be a way to inspire people to use the cameras� even if it means getting a 40-something year old used body just to get started.<P> It should be about 50 years of M <B>photography</B>, not M <B>fondling</B>, but I�m sure the collector�s edition is in the pipeline as we speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver_s. Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Sorry, but Leica doesn't cater to potential young users. They're set 150 per cent on their "exclusive" (read elitist) corporate image, and that simply doesn't fit making tools for "budding young photographer". Period. You won't see an entry Leica.<p><i>If Leica is to survive in the long run, they need to capture a wider and younger market.</i><br>I'm about to wonder whether they'll manage to survive by exploiting their specific market niche. Whether they will or won't, they're so set on their image that they can't get out without disappointing a major portion of their customers. Face it: a large number of Leica users would never buy/have bought Leica products if they weren't so exclusive. Now if you know German thinking, they'll rather stick to their endangered niche than taking the remotest risk of losing customers by broadening their product range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucien1 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 .<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 MP-3?? maybe, M6J with Rapidwinder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprouty Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Anyone else hear that ringing? I'm guessing that would be the sound Jay hitting the nail squarely on the head. And Michael, Molson's? Really? With all that nice <a href="http://www.unibroue.com/english.cfm">Unibroue </a> stuff available now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bds1 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 what about a book? I think that's a great idea, I liked the 'magic moments' ones leica did. And it must come in a wooden box of course.... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucien1 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 MP-3 ?? = M6J with original Leicavit MP. Bravo. Before you ask, it doesn't work. Lucien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 That's why I guessed it was a Rapidwinder. The original Leicavit operated the film takeup as the MP did not have the motor driveshaft as in M4-2 and later. The "new" Leicavit will work--if Leica makes in in silver it'll go well with M6J's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kastner Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Stephen, sounds good! tastes good!! I mentioned Molsons only because I know this brand. Molsons is good, but, here, it may have been as good as any "Old Style". I still have to admit that this probably has zero to do with Leica... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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