Ran into regional Leica rep Monday.

She says February 23rd is DER TAG - heaps of Leica news coming out - 5-hour sales meeting planned at PMA show/Orlando and then 2-hour press conference planned for roll out of - what? she won't/can't say (firing offense to tell what she does know, and she said that isn't very much - New York and Solms are very closemouthed).

But something is coming for every part of the Leica system on that day: digital, M, R.

The digital will be Panasonic-based, but she couldn't say whether it's just a Leica version of their fixed zoom-lens P&S or a interchangeable lens M- or R-compatable.

The M(whatever) will be introduced - no details, not even confirmation/denial of things we already thought we knew.

R Stuff - also no details, but a 'substantial' number of items - presume the 15, the 21-35 zoom, the 90 SAA in R mount (or some other 'fast portrait lens'.

So, basically a lot of non-news for now, but mark your calendars! Also she recommends checking Leica (Germany) web site on or after 2/23. She expects that's where info will appear first after announcement.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 29, 2002

Answers

Well that certainly clears up everything... except for the rumours. ;-)

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), January 29, 2002.

Maybe they know what they are doing marketing-wise afterall. It is, after all, excellent marketing to confirm the existence of rumors without speaking to the substance of the rumors. Anxious eyes and ears await the 2/23 pronouncements.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), January 29, 2002.

Considering the ever-softening film-based camera market, if the digital is just a P&S the other announcements will have a hollow ring to them.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 29, 2002.

Well, *I* heard that they're going to come out with....

*HATS*!!

yes, new Leica HATS!!

Some with "Leica Digital" written on them, some with "Leica R" and "Leica M" written RIGHT ON THEM! And they will match the new Hasselblad COLORS!!!!

But don't quote me... I don't want to get in trouble... ;)

-- Bob Keene (kabob3@mediaone.net), January 29, 2002.

Bob:

Good one! Had me LMAO here! Of course you are probably way too close to being right on the mark...

;-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 29, 2002.

Water resistant, take to the beach, Leica Disposable Camera! Capture the teenage girlie market.

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), January 29, 2002.

When I was in Japan over the Christmas holidays I saw a few Panasonic digital cameras with Leica lenses. I wonder if this is what is being unveiled in Feb? The only brochure I could find right now is for the Lumix with a vario-elmarit 2.8-4.0 / 5.3-10.6 lens. I can't tell you much more because the brochure is in Japanese.

-- Chad Hahn (thehahns@cornhusker.net), January 30, 2002.

will the leica hats come out in special collector's editions? how about black paint?

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

On these hats (if there are actually going to be hats, we've been hearing this one for years now), do you guys think that a black or chrome brim is better? Why are the chrome brims so much heavier? Are they made in Canada? How many hats do you guy carry? Should I sell my old baseball cap and upgrade to the Leica hat, or keep it for a "second" cap as a back-up?

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), January 30, 2002.

Remember to use black electrical tape over the Leica logo or thieves will steal your cap.

Dennis

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), January 30, 2002.

Here's what I heard about the hats. Please don't repeat this, however, as only one person within the Leica marketing team actually knows this, and I wouldn't want to get her fired.

The hats will come in two basic models: one with a built-in, retractable brim, and another with a slip-on brim that can be reversed and stowed on the back of the hat. A chrome model will be available, but the weight of the chrome brim tends to make the hat slip down over the eyes. A 1.25x counterbalance will be available as an option for $289, but production of the counterbalance will be limited. A Black Paint model will be reserved for commemorative production runs sponsored by marketing partners, and a gold-plated model will be available for collectors. A special all-titanium model will also be made available later, for use by existing darkness cave photographers, and it will have an image of a Noctilux silk-screened on the brim.

That's the real scoop, and you heard it here first!

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), January 30, 2002.

Andy,

You should have better said from the hare's mouth....

Sorry, a only French could possibly said that.

We'll be chewing out our bit till the 23rd, then.

But Knowing Leica, it's better not to take the bit between our teeth, let's be patient. Xavier

-- Xavier d'Alfort (hot_billexf@hotmail.com), January 30, 2002.

Hello,

I'm pretty sure the HATS will not fit perfectly on a Japanese person's skull. Erwin Puts did some recent bench tests and found that the new HATS will fit perfectly on a German's skull. Big headed sober Canadian's (are there any?) also have a perfect fit. Drunken Canadians don't fit. Japanese get a headache.

Honest, that's what I heard!

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), January 30, 2002.

Ralph, I heard the same thing about the titanium cap with the silk- screen Noctilux image on the brim. Actually, it is a re-issue model. I happen to have a vintage original of the cap, in excellent+++ to mint- condition, and the logo is embroidered, not silk-screened. Sadly, they just don't make them like they used to, and this is further evidence of Leica's cost-cutting measures.

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), January 30, 2002.

Okay--this is the real scoop. They'll offer a special retro "O" hat for $2000.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), January 31, 2002.

So, it's true!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), January 31, 2002.

All "hats" off to Leica ..with all those threads about Leica getting caught in the doldrums and completely out of date..when all the time they appear to have been working behind the scenes. Perhaps not long to wait to see if my information on a digital M body was true or not..but at what price? For the time being at least I'll hold off on another digital camera.

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.