The Leica Camera Blog reports that Leica will announce some new “surprise product” in 2012. And we are not talking about the pre announced mirrorless system only. Dr. Kaufmann “told us that they haven’t been discussed or discovered by Leica Rumors or the Leica Forum until now.“.
After reading that I checked back some strange rumors from unknown sources. They might be false but it’s the only rumor I got that haven’t been posted by anyone. The rumor says that Leica could use Fuji organic sensors for their next cameras (including the M10). I repeat, the rumor is from unknown sources but what’s true is that Leica will no more rely on Kodak sensors. And Fuji organic sensor technology looks very promising….
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Partnership !!!!!!!!
;-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
and what leica can offer to Fuji Film?
Production of red dot to be glued on camera body?
Because besides that, Leica does not produce anything.
Even the lenses are made from glass purchased outside of the company.
Fuji needs to expand their sensor production to lower the costs and compete against the big companies. That’s why leica is a good deal for them!
Dude Leica has like 0,15% of the market going on 1% in the next, what? 10yrs!?
Don’t think thats a big sensor buyer…
Let’s not go ape for Fuji. they are unproven long term in the camera biz. Anyone remember their Fujinon slrs way back when? And how about their Nikon loaned dslr bodies? do they inspire confidence in users? i think not too much. The x-100 was and is a dead end camera. One camera, one lens, lots of returns for problems like dust as a few camera ppl in the biz have told me.How do you clean the x-100 sensor if you get dust on the sesnor? the answer is…YOU CANT.The x1 pro has a big flaw in the design as well. The body looks strange when the lens is located directly smack in the middle of the body, giving the users hands less room to grip the camera while the right side is full of room and has nothing but the VF on top and the af switch at the bottom corner.
Leica and Nikon and Canon have been making rangefinder bodies since the 50s and the fact that Fuji designed a body styling with that simple flaw tells me that Fuji cant be trusted yet to be taken too seriously.At 1700 for the x1 pro and the x10 at 599, there’s a large gap where most potential users would fit in between.Making a good camera is one thing…making a good camera most ppl can afford is another.
Most lens factories use thir party glass. Making raw glass is a different job from making lenses. Lens makers have their own technology for grinding and shaping lens elements, glues to unite them, coatings and so on. What Leica lacks is sensor and signal processing technology. Fuji has proved itself as a very reliable source for cameras: all Hasselblads, from the X-Pan to the H series, were built by Fuji, lenses included (and the X-Pan lenses are still stunning, by any standard). So I think a Leica-Fuji deal could be good for both, and for the market that is in great need of competition.
does that mean Fuji Lx10 would uses Leica lens???!!!!
even better.. the Leica upcomming mirrorless and the Fuji LX 10 share the same mount! 😉
That would be awesome, but seems unlikely. Who knows though, Leica needs sensors, and the organic Fuji sensor sounds perfect for the M10.
But it would explain the rumors exactly … IMO it makes a lot of sense for both of them. They know what sells cameras for the enthusiasts crowd, and that’s the lenses that fit on it. By working together they would both sell more.
Also, Blackstone wouldn’t have bought 44% of Leica just on hopes that the M9-P will keep selling a little longer would they ? They must’ve seen some awesome future plans/prototypes to make them believe things could only go up.
No it means Fuji will likely get to put a Leica label on THEIR lenses much the same way Panasonic did so they can sell them at a premium. The Fuji/Leica connection isn’t new, many of Leica’s early, early digicams were Fujis with a red dot.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. Maybe Fuji will sell milc without a rangefinder, and maybe Leica will sell same one WITH a rangefinder. Maybe they’ll have the same lens mount, maybe they won’t. Many would be happy to pay a premium for a Fuji with a red dot and a RF, and this way Fuji shares some of the risk of marketing an expensive niche camera, and Leica finds a way to sell a camera at a price that for them is inexpensive.
Fuji and the other camera companies are not here to help Leica make money. Leica manual focus lenses on a body made for AF lenses? Leica is for the rich, for status, for sa very very very small number of working pros, for mostly wannabes. Why would Fuji waste time making things for a .00000000001 % of the camera market? You’re not helping 99% of camera users by asking for a camera maker to make something that works for another camera maker.If you like Leica, then buy a Leica..why do so many Leica people praise the Leica so much only to ask for other camera makers to give them something Leica can’t or doesn’t make? Leicamen praise the m9 but use other CSC camera bodies for their M lenses. If you ask them why, they turn around and say the cost of the m9 is too high. But if they can afford Leica lenses, shouldn’t they be able to afford the m9? So tired of the Leicamen BS.
One way or the other it will make sense for Leica to change their choice of supplier – since Kodak sold their sensor unit it to an equity firm – the future can go in any direction of the production and ownership of the patents there in.
So why not Fuji? Can anybody reflect on the strength of the Leica / Panasonic relationship?
Fuji and Leica had already a relationship in the 90ies with the first Digilux (Leica) and MX-700 (Fuji) and several improved models until 2001.
So why not reanimate this cooperation with real nice stuff?
@admin :
this just corroborates the recent words some Leica representative have had about Fuji. They praised the hybrid viewfinder and presumably something deeper with the Fuji approach to photography. This makes sense : with an extra 50% for the red dot versions, Fuji would keep its unique pace to colour and pictures while eliminating any of its japanese siblings (the Fuji DSLR with a Nikon F mount now belong to the history of photography…).
Leica tried a similar strategy with Panasonic—all that Leica would get are the die-hard Leica customers. So much for expanding their market.
Fuji would get the glass!
Let’s hope Olympus will order the sensor for the coming Pen Pro from Fuji. Remember Fuji is a member of the 4/3 consortium, so why not as a sensor supplier?
Wow that would be great!
fuji’s design X100 und X10 = leica like, a new cooperation?
I hope not. Leica’s ridiculous camera body pricing and these stupid special editions show the market strategy is to stay as an exclusive brand. The inferior electronics and hopelessly outdated manual approach, Leica’s plans is not to grow as to say make affordable consumer cameras. If Leica wants to cooperate with Fuji is solely because they fear Fuji to take over Leica’s currently little niche of small digital body paired with a full frame sensor.
You are right. leica knows it may be in serious trouble now that camera makers are starting to encroach into that market segment. It may be a sign of things to come. If I had to predict i will say that if the Leica bodies don’t make it in the future, Leica will have to go back to film and make AF confirmation Leica lenses for the digital csc and dslr cameras.That’s what happens when you don’t follow the slr trends back in the 60’s.Leica 50 years ago was originally an innovative company.Now they bank everything on the rangefinder, an old technology[ good as it is for certain kinds of shooting] that has long seen it’s better days. In a way, I do feel sorry for them, but what am I gonna do, spend 7 grand on a m9 body to keep them afloat? I’ll leave that to the rich Leicamen.
May I also add that that’s probably Leicas strategy.It’s the same as when Leica and Minolta had a thing going. If it holds true, Leica will produce Leica type lenses for Fuji x1, then Fuji will make a x1 body for Leica [example- the Leica m90] with the Leica logo, but it will cost a little bit more. Fans will flock to the Leica as you know Leica fanboys must have the Leica logo.The Fuji camera will lose sales to the new Fuji made Leica csc, then Fuji will stop x1 production, Leica then will have the market to itself, which it will then kill off their Fuji made camera and force users to go back to buying a Leica m10 or 11 or what have you. LOL
There’s a lot of rumours currently based around the theoretical “organic” sensor that no-one has confirmed either that it will be used, or even exists beyond a patent yet.
Well, Fuji officials say the new LX will have an image quality that rivals or even surpasses full frame. And the leaked images and info on the lenses strongly hints that the LX camera has an APSc-sized sensor. So this means the sensor must be something special.
This is a strange rumor.
1. Leica are not going to jeopardize their profitable partnership with Panasonic.
2. It is early days indeed for “organic” sensor designs to make it into mass production – doubt we will see anything in 2012 from Fuji or anyone else.
3. See EOSHD’s comments on the X100 – great images but lots of
functional rough spots that companies like Sony, Panasonic, Canon, Nikon and yes Leica, are doing much better.
Yes it is strange as it would hard to beleive that they would work closely with Pana and Fuji.
But look at the photo of the sensor in the previous rumour. Unless they are very small fingers – that sensor does look bigger than APSC.
It also looks 4:3 which is strange – but that could be a stretched image.
Possibly:
1) Fuji will use larger than APSC, or it is multi aspect
2) It is for another company which will use full frame
3) it is the beginning of macro4/3…
If this is true, I can’t really see it being for anything other than sensors. Fuji doesn’t need Leica’s help with glass, and Leica doesn’t need Fuji’s help with bodies. If Fuji is indeed producing a totally new type of sensor, then it’s totally feasible that they’d sell them to Leica. It’d scale up production and cut down on costs, and it’d do so without diluting Fuji’s “premium” target.
Leica needs production capability…….just saying.
Leica needs to expand its customer base with a mid price
high quality interchangeable lens system. Rugged build,
high quality optics and superior image quality at a price
40-60 percent of the M9. Buyers will pay a “red dot” premium, but it needs to be competitive with a prosumer DSLR. Fuji would be a good partner, but the relationship with Hasselblad would be a stumbling block (think h30/40 vrs S2) as well as Leica’s former relationship with Leaf which may have pushed Solms towards Panasonic ten years ago.
Neither Fuji nor Leica has a good distribution system in the US (or worldwide for that matter) and while both have loud and loyal users, there just aren’t enough of them.
The addition of a separate Exposure Lock button would simplify and speed-up shooting a string of shots with backlighting compensated for. The S2 has one , why not the M9? The shutter mounted exposure lock is for one shot only. It is necessary to switch to manual for a series of shots.
I have faxed Leica to see if one could be fitted , but do not hold out much hope. Maybe on the M 10 ?
I will post any reply .
Well, the two new mirrorless systems that have been announced but not specified are Leica and Fuji. And Leica wouldn’t be making nice comments about the X100 if they weren’t about to get into bed with Fuji…c’mon folks, it ain’t rocket science!
Personally, I’m looking forward to the system/s. Have almost decided that I’ll eventually go with this system for the shorter focal lengths, and stick with m43 for the longer lengths and for my kids to use as they get mature enough to trust with the gear.
Leica will NEVER be a big player..never. They can only stay alive by competing in the ultra high end luxury camera market… a market that no one wants except them. Leica barely makes enough money to invest back into R&D and to build better facilities.And now with the Fuji x1 I’m sure Leica is even more worried about the X1 eating into their market share…and it will happen. 1400 dollars versus almost 7 grand, it’s a no-brainer there.Leica stands by itself in a corner. They’re known for making high end, high expense products. Anything less would be a sin to their name. They can’t compete in the modern AF camera wars and they can’t make inexpensive high quality equipment. i had a Leica m9 customer come into the store I work and ask if we sold the m9 battery.I had to tell her that we do not carry 300 dollar batteries.Yes, you see, that’s Leica for you. Their only strength is also their achilles heel.They are forever stuck with the ultra expensive market strategy.
I think Leica should produce a rangefinder mft camera.. If that makes any sense. :/