Custombuilt Leica

[beowulf]

here's a question for whoever may be sufficiently qualified to respond---would Leica consider custom fabrication of a camera?? my thought is that among thousands of Leicaphiles,such a concept might yield lucrative feedback for future projects.on a personal level,i'd consider having this done simply because of my love of the lenses and my creative nature (not to mention financial resources). gimme feedback!!!!

 

[vedran]

well actually i think they did something like that already for some mega rich gulf states sheik. he has ordered pure titaninum mp plus set of lens according to his spec. there was article in lfi about it year ago. they didnt mentioned the price but they hinted five figure sum.

 

[beowulf]

here's the bottom-line question for me---are Leica lenses sufficiently superior to all others to warrant ignoring the need for THE high-tech feature i need the most,that being AF??? ideally, this would be adapted to the M series of lenses, in the interest of preserving the element of spontaneity in the photographic experience. this reminds me of Mercedes Benz's reluctance to add the sun roof to its automobiles--no apparent reason for the rigidity,just holding out in the name of tradition. i believe that Leica should strike while film cameras are still in vogue, and offer the general public what we want, because soon, due to mainstream 16 megapixel cameras and other innovations,whatever arises may not sell at all.....!!! just my humble opinion...

 

[waileong]

[The bottom line is that a. You need to learn to set aperture and shutter speed and to pre-focus by feel (with the camera in your hands in a bag, in your coat, etc), before bringing it up to your eye for framing and catching the decisive moment; b. You need to learn to use zone focusing and not be bothered too much about double images that are not aligned-- they will be sharp enough if you've set the right zone focus; c. You need to work like a hunter (like HCB said he was) rather than a terrorist with a machine gun (also known as a DSLR at 8 fps), always going for the one shot that expresses the decisive moment. If you know how to use a Leica, the stealth and the fast lensesand intuitive handling will get you shots that a big, loud and obvious DSLR will not. Yes, the general public wants digital, wants DSLRs, wants 8 fps, etc. Leica cannot compete in that market-- they don't have the technology nor the funds to maintain the R&D. And frankly, I don't think the Leica customer wants Leica to be like Canon or Nikon. The Leica customer base is a small customer base, but a very discerning one, some of whom do their own darkroom work and know how to extract the maximum from their prized lenses and bodies using traditional techniques. ]

 

[honesttom]

> I agree completely with yr view. The whole point of M photography is the > potential to take truly candid film shots. Sure it's hard to do well. I > personally struggle to remember the most basic stuff -- taking off the > lens cap, for ex&le. But every now and again . . . .

 

[beowulf]

Well, Lee, you make very good points regarding the company and its r &d issues. and i now appreciate the small but rabid following of the Leica purists. but maybe the budget would have been salvaged if they had not focused on making 8 different compact models,some of which seem to be redundant. that move looks like a desire to make concessions to the lower end, so i cannot frame Leica as being absolutely rigid. nobody's implying that AF M series should be made at the exclusion of the standard, simply as an alternative. motor drive for me is less necessary,and may invite more fabrication headaches. if convenience and conformity were my only needs, i would have already been married to the Nikons and Canons. but my appreciation of the lenses and overall craftsmanship are what keep me holding on and dreaming.....

 

[waileong]

Canon made a bold decision in the late 70s to ditch the FD mount to introduce the EOS mount. They got their strategy right, it has paid off handsomely for them even at the expense of disgruntled FD users.

Leica would have ditch 50 years of M lenses to introduce autofocus. They are too late to the game, and frankly, I just don't think that Leica should be like Canon or Nikon. As a consultant, I advise companies to be different from their competitors. I cannot recommend a strategy of follow the leader to Leica.