Official Talk Leica thread

custodian said:
Sorry, that does not follow.

Leica is, comparatively, a small company that does not have the benefits of scale that Nikon or canon do. They can only be competitive in producing speciality items for a niche market. Their scale of production dictates manual assembly and so a labour intensive.

Such production models can often be less consistent in quality.

Do not confuse small scale/high cost with necessarily automatic high quality.
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Fingers in ears - lalalala
 
custodian said:
Sorry, that does not follow.

Leica is, comparatively, a small company that does not have the benefits of scale that Nikon or canon do. They can only be competitive in producing speciality items for a niche market. Their scale of production dictates manual assembly and so a labour intensive.

Such production models can often be less consistent in quality.

Do not confuse small scale/high cost with necessarily automatic high quality.
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This well timed interview popped up with Leica’s Director of Product Management, Stefan Daniel:

http://www.humansinvent.com/#!/8687/pursuit-of-perfection-hand-crafting-a-leica-lens/

Pretty much covers why the quality is higher.
 
ndwgolf said:
None the wiser but thanks for letting me know
Heading out on a shoot today with the M-9 will post up tonight
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Four-Thirds is the format used by Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor area is one quarter the size of full-frame.

Micro Four-Thirds is the same, but the lens-to-camera distance is much shorter, allowing camera to be made slimmer. It's used for their CSCs (Compact System Cameras ;)) that don't have a big mirror-box to clear.
 
Laudrup said:
What bag are you carrying your M9-P around in Neil?
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Ladrup I got one of these.....very English
belstaffcolonialbagmed.jpg
 
HoppyUK said:
Four-Thirds is the format used by Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor area is one quarter the size of full-frame.

Micro Four-Thirds is the same, but the lens-to-camera distance is much shorter, allowing camera to be made slimmer. It's used for their CSCs (Compact System Cameras ;)) that don't have a big mirror-box to clear.
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Thank you Sir
 
Nice bag, who makes that? I'm using the Billingham Hadley Small:

kf3zmd.jpg


It's nice and cosy for the M, great build quality too. Are you using any filters for the M9?
 
The bag is a Belstaff 554
I use Lee GND Filters; I managed to get 2 sets, one soft and one hard each with 3 filters 0.9, 0.6, 0.3. I also have the 39,46 & 49 adapter rings and a holder.
Today I tried to get a sunset but the weather sucked so only managed the attached;
melaka250820120143.jpg
 
I've got the RF-75 Lee kit with 3 grads, don't use it too much though even though I probably should. Are you going to upgrade to an M10 or get an MM? A few MMs are out on the LUF, looks pretty nice.
 
paulcamcas said:
It amused me no end that I carry my M3 in a Hadley Digital.
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You'll need to get an M9 to go with the digital bag ;) Billingham + Leica is a bit of cliche, but for a reason I suppose. They are just well made, classic bags. What lenses are you shooting with on the M3?
 
Laudrup said:
You'll need to get an M9 to go with the digital bag ;) Billingham + Leica is a bit of cliche, but for a reason I suppose. They are just well made, classic bags. What lenses are you shooting with on the M3?
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I'm working on it. I shoot the M3 with a Summicron 50 and Elmar 90, both collapsible. I have a fancy for a Zeiss 50 Sonnar with the M9. Can't see it happening this year though.
 
paulcamcas said:
I'm working on it. I shoot the M3 with a Summicron 50 and Elmar 90, both collapsible. I have a fancy for a Zeiss 50 Sonnar with the M9. Can't see it happening this year though.
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I would keep my lenses the same I think. I have a 35mm summicron v3, voigtlander 50mm f1.5 and 90mm elmarit f2.8 (first version) and they give such wonderful pictures!
 
Fortunately, the closest shop likely to have an M9 is about two hours away from me.
 
paulcamcas said:
Fortunately, the closest shop likely to have an M9 is about two hours away from me.
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Take a taxi and you'll be there in 10 minutes :p
 
At risk of getting myself into more trouble in this thread, the Stefan interview answered a lot of questions around why they do what they do and I learnt from it. Agree with Laudrup, there wasn't anything to disbelieve really.

The key thing is they use manual processes because the numbers are low and don't warrant a machine - not because the end product is made better but purely because it is cheaper to do by hand, which is understandable.
He was implying that they would use machines if they had a business case to buy them and that would be driven by output figures. That would probably never happen as the market is not there and to build 100,000 lenses with a machine (to offset cost) and have them sitting on the shelf for years at the cost they are would be suicide.
 
Well he would say that wouldn't he?
2 examples of the ludicrous world we dream in:
#1: The EVF for the X2 is identical to the Olympus offering yet twice the price. Because it's Leica you see.
#2: The Digilux 2 and the Panasonic LC-1 are both made by Matsus***a, yet the one with the red dot is hundreds more to buy.Same camera, different cosmetics, I'm guessing the Leica version is hand built and has had just that little more attention and care given to it's manufacture then will I?
My Leica lenses are going in for re-investment in the Japanese market, the bodies are going to be boxed and saved for the future. Hopefully I'll find some Leica obsessed nerd to buy them to stick in a glass case.

:razz:;)
 
Well they would have more QC checks if Leica actually made the products in question and not Epson and Panasonic respectively.
 
You should get the 100mm f/2.8 R lens for it or look out for some nice R glass. I'm in the market for a D800 or D800E myself to use the 70-200mm VR II on + maybe a Zeiss 50mm f/2. With the gear you're getting you must own this oil rig! ;)
 
I like your style :D Really with the D800E I'd either go the Nikon 24/35/85G f/1.4 primes and maybe a nice Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro. Really for a sensor that good I'd just feed it the best glass. Don't discount the Leica R glass though as I said, you can go to the Leitax site and convert lenses easily and some of the R lenses like the Elmarit 28mm, 80mm Summilux, 100mm f/2.8 APO and 180mm APO are legendary.
 
Just had a heart to heart with the old lady and the D800e is on, she is getting a coach handbag at 450 quid and I am getting a new D800e for 550 quid..... With 24 1.4 attached:):):)
I hope she never sells it for 400 quid when we cant pay the electric bill����
 
Laudrup said:
How are you getting it for £550? Is that a typo?
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Only if a bit of misdirection and judicious fibbing could be called a typo :) Been there, done that, suffered the fearful consequences when she cottoned on.
 
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Damn I thought I was onto a cheap D800 there or it had floated out a factory window. If the missus breaks it cleaning or drops it and offers to pay the £550 to replace it you'll be sorry though ;)
 
Taken yesterday in KLCC ..........M9-P 35mm f2 1000 sec ISO 160
"On my way home"
playingathome3008201201.jpg
 
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Nice pic, where is KLCC? Rumours of a Leica ME coming at Photokina, a stripped down M9.
 
I like the way he put it about being like a good cigar or malt, it just feels enjoyable shooting with the M9 which is something forgotten when everyone is so keen to label everything as a 'tool' these days.
 
yeah he's a pretty cool guy in that respect, he shoots canon for work (tools of his trade) & indulges Leica for pleasue & his own personal use (y)


he has written some good stuff in his blog over the last few years (y)
always happy to help if i ever hit him up with a question on facebook etc :)
nice guy (y)
 
His name looked familiar so I checked on POTN forum, I've seen a lot of his motorsport work there, he's a talented guy. Must be quite refreshing for him to slow down a bit and use the Leica compared to the fast and high pressure world of motorsport.
 
steveclem said:
Leicas QC seems questionable, and I'll not forgive them for abandoning the R system to concentrate on the rangefinder crowd. Perhaps Photokina will spring up a result, the only reason I'm hoping for that is in order to sell my reflex kit.
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Not sure if it will be any use to you but I just read that Leica are introducing the "R Adapter M" for using Leica lenses on M bodies.
 
May I chip in please?
I'm a strictly hobby photographer who uses DSLRs as well as enjoying playing with 645 MF and 35mm SLR and rangefinder cameras. I seem to play with things and keep them or move them on depending whether I enjoy the ergonomics involved.
I'm at the point of thinking "Leica... what's all that about?"
I've worked through the preceding pages of this thread and, frankly, find myself no wiser on why I should expose myself to Leica photography at what would not be a modest outlay: is that it? Handmade and therefore better? More expensive and therefore better? Cultish and therefore better?
Please guys, I'm neither taking sides nor picking a fight but I'm genuinely trying to make sense of why I should or should not give the red dot a try.
 
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