I received a newsletter from Leica regarding new cameras that will be displayed at Photokina in Cologne the 20th of September. They make reference to both a new digital (that should be valid for about an hour and a half) and a new APS... I know about economics, but APS?

If anyone is interested, you can look at this marvel (sarcasm) at:

http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/compact/c11/index_e.html

Unless it is intended to be a suprise, there is no mention of the much talked about medium format camera... maybe when Hasselblad comes out with its APS (sarcasm again).

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), September 04, 2000

Answers

I was under the impression that APS hasn't exactly changed the world of photography like it was predicted to do, and hasn't captured anywhere near the projected market share. It is a head scratcher why Leica has joined the APS ranks, but it probably isn't a big investment for them. Now what would be really funny is if they start producing a Leica APS rangefinder with interchangeable lenses! The M-APS

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), September 04, 2000.

I think that in the innovation category, based on past history, we can pretty much count on Leica to be too late with too little. I read recently that APS has had very little market penetration in terms of total percentages, running the risk of eventually going the way of 110 and the disk. I guess that's Leica's clue to get moving :-)

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 05, 2000.

FWIW Leica has all these "woderful" point and shoots..... The R8 looks terrible in terms of missing features.Compared to EOS-1/3 or Nikon F5/100 they are 15 years behind.Sure I love mechanical do everything myself.I AM A minority. Even the pro want all-auto.Leica needs a wake up call. A fancy number,paint job isnt going to do it........ The APS is idiotic.Kodak has introduced a lot of formats that went to the garbage heap.AS for the ease of APS,check it out.People ask me to load their cameras.The cost of D+P is high.Wow and if you left it on "panorama"sell your house.

-- jason gold (jason1155234@webtv.net), September 05, 2000.

Jason

What missing features on the R8? The only one I can think of is autofocus, the rest is just meaningless flim-flam. The R8 is in tune with Leica philosophy in that it is superb in manual operation and yet has full auto with matrix metering for supposedly accurate program mode shooting. It allows manual wind, preserving battery life, but has a small autowinder or motordrive as an add on. Of course, if you must have autofocus then naturally Leica is not your beast. Most of what I see extra added to most Nikons and Canons is marketing hype in my opinion. The issue Leica has to settle is whether they want to remain a niche camera manufacturer concentrating on very high quality bodies and lenses and stressing reliability, lifetime service and backwards compatibility and the ultimate in optical performance or whether they want to compete with the big boys in terms of constant (and usually meaningless "improvements") which absorb money and cost a fortune to market.

I agree that APS is a foolish move, though, but probably is cheap to do and will garner them some instant new revenue without too much investment. I wish they could spend some more on developing more new lenses.

-- Robin Smith (rsmith@springer-ny.com), September 05, 2000.

Presumably it's just a rebadge job like their boring digital P&S offering, but plus a 'nice' new case. It is a bit pathetic though. A leica APS? - about as useful as those ghastly gold 'specials' they insist on producing. They really should stop all this nonsense and stick to what they do best, or start on something genuinely interesting such as a digital back for the R8, MF or perhaps a new enlarger.

When Leica are good they are great, sometimes though they are just embarassing!

Matt

-- Matthew Pulzer (pulzer@dial.pipex.com), September 05, 2000.

This camera looks like a PorscheDesign Group workover of an Elph 370z.

-- Christopher Henry (henryjc@concentric.net), September 05, 2000.

In all fairness, Contax and Rollei make an APS camera as well. I wonder if anyone buys them.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), September 05, 2000.

FWIW the Nikon Pronea,a true SLR for APS,designed for pros is a total failure.No sales.Leica is busy rebadging everything....It started with Minolta and I shudder to think where it is going.I like a lot of us on this site want mechanical,do everything one self syndrome.The sales of the other main manufacturers is way ahead.True if Solms keeps to low level production,high quality.It is very worrying when even The Leica Historical Society doubt the precision,quality control and longevity of service of the current M6 and lenses.My opinion of the R8 is purely on the features and functions.The lenses are great.I can see the difference in some of my Leica lenses and my Pentax/Nikon systems.It is very small.It comes at excessive great cost. When one reads a lens was made by Sigma...or is a Contax lens(Kyocera 80~200zoom) you wonder if Leica make the rangefinder unit for the M6...? Before war is declared,look at picture in the brochure of M6," How revolutionary should your camera be ?"There is a stamping on the rangefinder unit.Typical of German/Swiss or European maker.It is not Leica badge.What does this mean?????I own a M3 and M2 an some lenses.I will add Voigtlander lenses.Sorry to ruffle some feathers. May you all have great light and good shooting.

-- jason gold (jason1155234@webtv.net), September 06, 2000.