Hoppyman from Leica Camera Forum found an interesting interview with Leica CEO Alfred Schopf (made at www.zinio.com/camera). These are some of the key info unveiled by the CEO:
DSLR vs Mirrorless: …”to be honest, I’m not 100 percent sure where the D-SLR market is going to be in the future. The mirrorless cameras are coming on and on and on and I’m not entirely convinced that in ten years time we will have a D-SLR market“
About a future Leica mirrorless (non rangefinder): “We will have one, definitely. And it will, of course, be quite different to M system. We want to have autofocus with such a system and we may well have an APSC size sensor rather than a bigger one…….It will be a German built camera, however I’m not sure we can make all of the lenses made in Germany because we are talking about a different price range to M system so I could imagine that we do some fixed focal length lenses in Germany and maybe with the zooms we will co-operate with a partner” He stresses that Leica won’t be building on Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds format!
About the Film Camera future: “We are now the world’s biggest manufacturer of film cameras on the planet- because we are the only one, more or less. As long as we get orders we will continue. At the moment we get between 600 and 700 orders per year…………“
Yep, their new mirrorless camera is coming, and if the CEO isn’t fooling us it will be definitely not a Micro Four Thirds mount camera!
88 Responses
Not sure if it’s just me, but I think it’s rare to hear Leica being so frank about their company politics. I didn’t expect Leica in the MFT market either and I think it’s a great idea to stay out of the DSLR market right now, haha. Even more so than the MFT one.
I’m pretty sure DSLR will be a niche product in only five years. Nikon tried to make a “dream DSLR” with the legendary D4 sensor and a new design, not even too expensive for what you get, and it’s selling poorly. That’s saying something.
Interesting bits of info, both that they’ll likely go APS-C as well as non-rangefinder style. That might put them head to head against the Fujifilm X series. An interesting turn of events. It’d mean Fujifilm went Leica with their style and traditional knobs before Leica themselves did.
Difficult to understand how you know the Df is selling poorly, most especially since it hasn’t been released yet.
I totally agree: DSLR is dead. Of course right now there are millions of people willing to buy DSLRs, but markets change very quickly. Buying a DSLR camera now is not a bad thing if you already got several lenses, as cameras last only 5-8 years, but buying new, expensive DSLR lenses now, is a very bad investment.
It’s so dead almost everyone still uses them instead of mirrorless. LOL If dslrs were any more dead Canikon would be richer. I would not take stock market advice from you.
But the simple fact is that most CaNikon purchases are entry-level and to people who never shoot with anything else but the kit lens. The revenue is high due to volumes, but they do not add much to the bottom line, since margins are very slim.
Mirrorless allows for cheaper camera designs. And now also support PDAF and large, fast EVFs. And these are the reasons why DSLRs are going to, so to say, die.
The ardent DSLR fans simply overreact. They would get literally the same cams in the future, and the only distinct difference there would be is the EVF instead of the OVF. Oh, and no flapping mirror.
Just check the recent Sony Alphas, the post-SLT ones. Or even the later SLT ones.
The story is the exact same or worse for mirrorless the only big sellers are the heavily discounted low end gear.Look at any of the sales indicators be it in
Japan
http://www.dslrphoto.com/dslr/space.php?do=jranking&view=all
America
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A!493964%2Cn%3A502394%2Cn%3A281052&ie=UTF8&qid=1385554783&ajr=2
Europe
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Cameras-Accessories-Photography-Bundles/b/ref=amb_link_178548187_1?ie=UTF8&node=560836&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-leftnav&pf_rd_r=150HHZX5QXFTS3FX59WC&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=449891147&pf_rd_i=560834
mFtsgh. 6.8 percent? LOL. You must be working really hard for m43. Why don’t you try working hard for something more better than a worthless cause? You know m43 is going to be DEAD when apsc ps cameras come, and they will come. Second, 40 percent of the mirrorless market? 40 percent out of 2 buyers means you sold one camera. LOL. Don’t try your little numbers BS on me, it wont work,. Try going out on the street and see how many serious photogs use mirrorless cameras in any big city. You keep talking about m43 success when there isnt really much of it, and to be honest man, you aint fooling no one here. Go to any camera store and ASK the dealer, they will tell you that m43 doesnt MOVE off the shelves fast. They occupy one tiny section of a shelf, that is all. But im sure you know more than even the camera dealers too right?
mFtsgh ignore that reply, it was for dummy 0001. I thought you wrote what he wrote for a second. LOL. Anyways, dummy is am43 shill, everyone on the net knows that. theres another super shill here too, in the name of “youdidntddidntyou” crap. He’s even got a pic of himself and his sister as if it makes his shill opinion legit or seomthing. Thom hogan comes here to refute his comments but the guy is one persistent motherfacker.
I never said mirrroless cameras are outselling dslrs. And i hae never thought they could either. Are you replying to the right person, bro? It’s the dummy shill guy ove there who thinks mirrorless cameras are the next best thing to sliced bread..not me.
Well no duh it’s entry level, how many ppl can afford or justify putting thousands in a pro system? the revenue is high on volume? Are you willing to bet that mirrorless cameras outsell and out profit dslr? Dont just say it man, put some money where your mouth is.
mirrorless allows for cheaper designs? In theory, yes. In reality, hell no. Look at m43 cameras. You would think no mirror, cheaper smaller sensor and no EVf would make it alot cheaper right? So how much is the latest pen camera? over a GRAND, so there goes your claim of allowing it to be cheaper.
Dslts? Sony dslrs? Sony doesnt even ake dslrs anymore? Not cause they arent good, it cause sony makes the same if not inferior dslrs and at same if not higher prices. Why would anyone have a need to buy a sony when canikon is around?
and when i say latest pen camera, im talking about there ep5, you know, the one with a tiny m43 sensor, no mirrors and NO viewfinder. Not cheap is it?
“Well no duh it’s entry level, how many ppl can afford or justify putting thousands in a pro system? the revenue is high on volume? Are you willing to bet that mirrorless cameras outsell and out profit dslr? Dont just say it man, put some money where your mouth is.”
Let me put it this way by all reports FF DSLRs account for just over 8% of the DSLR market so based on this years figures that means 6.64% of the entire interchangeable camera market is FF meanwhile between them Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji, Nikon, Canon and Pentax mirrorless adds up to 17% .The biggest player seems to be mFT with 40% of the mirrlorless market that is 6.8% of the entire interchangeable lens market.
That means that just FF sales are roughly the same as the whole of mFT sales put together. Your suggestion that ” mirrorless cameras outsell and out profit dslr” is idiotic there is real world data here :http://www.cipa.jp/stats/dc_e.html Olympus Panasonic and Sony are losing money in imaging hand over fist
The bottom line is that even now 8 out of 10 interchangeable lens cameras are DSLR
So let’s summarize.
DSLRs outsell every other interchangeable lens camera systems by a LOT. They own probably 80-90% of the interchangeable lens market.
The companies that still sell these- Canon and Nikon- are profitable.
No camera divisions of other companies that sell non-DSLR interchangeable lens are making profits, unlike Canon and Nikon.
These non-DSLR companies could not make it in the profitable DSLR market, so they retrenched and tried another tack in selling interchangeable lenses.
In Black Friday general merchandise ads retailers will show lots of Canon and Nikon DSLRs, because they know what customers buy, and they won’t waste valuable ad space on mirrorless cameras.
All this proves that DSLRs are dead.
Keep dreaming my friend. And buying expensive DSLR lenses. Good luck. It´s your money, not mine.
It is not a dream . it is a cold hard fact this year DSLR sales have 83% of the interchangeable lens camera market: http://www.cipa.jp/stats/dc_e.html
Mdmax has never seen the prices for m43 lenses yet. LOL. And why buy something that has resale value when you can buy a mirrorless lens and have no one to sell it to later? LOL
Oh god, youre just as bad as the shill “youdidntdidyou” dude. At least you dont have a picture of yourself with your sister to pretend that its your girlfriend or something. Give it up man, mirrorless cameras are seen as amateurish to most camera buyers. I see almost everyone using dslrs when it comes to IL cameras, not mirrorless. Your stats dont back up what i see when i go outside or on vacation or what camera store carry and what ppl buy from them. If you’re going to be shill, at least try to pretend to be logical, man. all you and shills like you who work for companeis or the gov just come off sounding like pychopathic dirt bags on the net. You aint fooling anyone who can see with their eyes with your stats, bro.
Yes, and so Nikon shares this year lost 24% of value in Nikkei index, the worst company in Nikkei.
The market share of mirrorless has actually fallen the current 2013 sales numbers from CIPA the only source that matters [ the old my next door neighbors cousin knows a pro that switched to mFT routine is a bit old]. Fact 83% of interchangeable lens cameras currently sold worldwide are DSLR’s , that leaves 17% for the entirety of the mirrorless market.Then there is the residual ownership of DSLR’s probably you are up at 95%+ of interchangeable cameras in current use being DSLR.
This is why it still makes news in the mirrorless forums if someone spots a couple at Disney world.The 1/1000 or less “pro” users get headline links in the mirrorless rumour sites regardless of actual skills
They need to make mirrorless cameras bigger for DSLR’s to go away. It’s slowly getting there. Dead now? Not a chance, there aren’t any alternatives for the performance a high-end DSLR gives you.
Actually, there are alternatives…
The Olympus E-M1, the Sony Alpha-7, and the Sony Alpha 7R.
Those are nice compliments to a system, definitely not a replacement.
If Leica does’nt go to MFT is good news for the MFT system. It means that prices won’t go insane, and Pana and Oly are now mature enough to produce very good cameras by themselves.
About the end of DSLR I hope it’s not true, even if it becomes a niche market we need it, exactly as film… and rangefinder cameras.
So, basically, they’ll make new mount and new APS-C lenses? Not wise…
And those M cameras and lens are made by 80% in Portugal not in Germany
Not sure if Leica will still be around in 10 years. LOL
the leica guy should have a look at the sales numbers.
how can he say mirrorless is coming on and on….. when ALL sales reports say mirrorless is dropping faster then dslr and all companys cuting the mirrorless forecast MORE then the DSLR sale forcast.
this is pure bollocks.
It’s easy to say when the company he works for doesn’t have a horse in the race. Have Canikon day it and it will be news.
Really? Leica “S” series aren´t DSLRs?
LOL, don’t try so hard man. Leica is pos rich mans stuff. Only for posers.
They definitely are although in a different market segment. It’s not there to compete with the 1Dx and D4’s of the world. The S series doesn’t need the pro AF tracking of the more traditional SLR’s so they can easily go mirrorless with that one. As soon as there are no compromises with the EVF.
Why do you mirrorless ppl alwyas compare those cameras to the flagship pro bodies meant for sports? why? mirrorless cameras dont even deserve to be compared in the same breath as the 1d or nikon d4 cameras. Anything you take with your small mirrorless camera another person with a camera as big as medium format can take excatly the same damn thing. Plus, no ones telling to buy a 1d, go buy a 70d, its still a better camera than any mirrorless. And dont give me the descreet excuse because leicas and m43 cameras are bigger than ps cameras, plus the nex has a larger sensor and the cameras are just as small. EVF’s. HA! Nothing like looking at noisy coarse battery drain laggy evfs. lol
What the man is reported to be saying is exactly what they used to say a long time ago. Is that still up to date?
The latest rumors seemed to be quite sure about Leica introducing Panasonic-manufactured mirrorless system cameras in 2014.
Whatever they’re going to do, one thing is for sure, it will be (or must have been) a tough decision for Leica to make.
I really can’t see a market for a still necessarily expensive, German made “budget Leica” with a new, incompatible mount and an APS-C sensor, now that the field has been divided out by the already quite mature and high-quality existing systems, mainly MFT, NEX and Fuji X, with Sony now even offering an affordable full-frame mirrorless option with serious lenses on their way, too.
In my opinion Leica has only two sensible options. Either: go full-frame-mirrorless building on the existing M system with Sony-A7-like cameras, perfect M- and possibly R-Mount support, adding a new AF-M line of lenses. Or: go MFT by getting help from Panasonic, and profit from the system’s existing wealth of compatible lenses and accessories.
Or do both.
I cannot see a future for a completely new solution in between, though.
“The latest rumors seemed to be quite sure about Leica introducing Panasonic-manufactured mirrorless system cameras in 2014.”
It was on LeicaRumors. But that doesn’t mean that the new camera would reuse the MFT. Panasonic is one of the largest consumer electronics producers and like everybody else routinely rents out manufacturing capacities.
IMO Leica would go FF route, at the very least because they want to differentiate themselves from the m43. My speculation is different (Leica FF E-mount cam like Sony A7) but revolves around the same facts. The most recent article on LeicaRumors about Die Welt’s article (Die Welt: “Leica’s nightmare is Sony”) points the same direction: the legacy lenses are pretty usable on A7 (except the (U)WA ones) and Leica has to do something about it.
“He stresses that Leica won’t be building on Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds format!”
Going MFT way, would be like joining a commodity market for Leica. Also the existing Leica lenses have no chance of being refitted to m43 without huge compromises.
Considering that the rumors are coming on the heels of the Sony A7 release, I would speculate that they are going to use the Sony E-mount in FF mode.
Didn’t the interview just said it would likely be APS-C rather than bigger?
Uh, you do know that when and it will happen, when they fit all ps cameras with apsc or Ff sensors, that will effective kill m43 like a dead rat, right? no matter how many things you have said, it will happen and you will enjoy it when even cheapo ps cameras have bigger more detailed sensors than m43. lol m43 will go the way of the old aps film system. Dead as a dodo…then you will have to find another thing to shill for.
It’s so very dead… because Leica can’t even sell more than what Canon/Nikon rounds off during their quarterly report?
It’ll be here, and Leica will be rebadging more camera than ever before in 10 years.
Not going m43? A huge missout on a well established marked with advanc partners and eager user base.
Look to me Leica just sold the name to Panasonic when they needed the money early on.
Lenses nit even designed by Leica.
Micro 4/3 is a struggling format that is making no money. It was supposed to be an industry standard format, but only two vendors ever joined, and now they’re stuck. Anyone else joining would only serve to legitimize a marginalized and shrinking segment. Olympus and Panasonic would love to have anyone else, including Leica, join the club. The other vendors choose to sit this out, let Olympus and Panasonic innovate themselves to death. Only a sucker would join micro 4/3 right now.
Other than this, the statements of the Leica guy are self-serving, and understandably so. He is not an industry pundit, he is a Leica corporate spokesman. Leica has no chance of a serious DSLR being commercially viable, so of course they poo-poo the idea.
Oh, really. What moronic logic you have. Only a “sucke” like you would make such statements.
Not making any money? Prove it. Let’s see about mirroless. M43 has two major players – Olympus and Panasonic (not “only” two). Even Black Magic uses m43, and Sigma, if the rumors are correct, will do m43 with its great Foveon sensor. Fujifilm has one player – itself. Sony has one – itself. Samsung has one – itself. Do you see a pattern here? All use different mounts. And how about if we compare the number of lenses for each format?
Think before you open your mouth.
go outside and look at people who are using leicas, there are billions of them. Use your eyes before you use your faulty logic based on your dreams.
The financial data from both Olympus and Panasonic imaging division makes it blatantly obvious that mFT is a money losing business.Terada was making some ridiclous excuses why mFT is losing money something about women being too poor lol .But don’t let logic get in the way of what you “feel” or what you “think”
The only pattern I see is that you are living in a dream world and have a hard time dealing with reality. And you are also blind and cant see what ppl are using outside in the real world either. Use your brain before you open your mouth, but you cant can you, because you get paid to be biased, right?
CC, Contrary to your assertions, there are two and only two and have ever been only two manufacturers of Micro 4/3 cameras. Your talk of Samsung and Sony do nothing to change the fact. Nor the fact that micro 4/3 has yet to make money.
Other than that, nobody knows what a ‘sucke’ is. And nobody understands why a simple statement of marketing and business facts from the industry itself- facts that you don’t happen to like, leads to your throwing a temper tantrum as though somebody were insulting your children. If you don’t like it, go tell Panasonic and Olympus to sell more cameras- your problem is with them, not me, partner.
And all that writing you out in still aint gonna make mirrorless more than a fringe tiny market. LOL. Such a shill-boy.
Replied to the wrong person, it was for CC shillboy there.
Leica have stated several times that MFT is out of the question. A pity, but probably a good decision from Leica’s point of view. They have previously stated that they don’t want Leica-branded lenses that need digital correction. Going with MFT would mean a lot of digital corrections, at least for compatibility with Pana/Oly lenses – and competing with those lenses which are priced much lower than Leica want.
Btw, there were similar statements about a mirrorless Leica two years ago. Then they said it was delayed and then they said they never had said anything about a new mirrorless system. Then they talked about the mini M which turned out to be the X Vario.
I’d give anything (except anouncements) from Leica a very low credibility rating.
I agree the dSLR are shitty half baked pie and semi-digital cameras in terms of tech.
but I think before D-SLRs , Leica M goes away.
I was a Leica fan but really disappointed when I first saw how lousy Leica 35mm f1.4 Lux actually is compared to the Sony FE35mm f2.8ZA.
I think Leica M is a junk.
so you must be one of the few lucky customers who owns new Sony A7 or A7r with Zeiss lens – let me just ask one thing though:
how did you come to the conclusion that 35mm f/2.8 Sony is better than 35mm Lux? Surely you can’t attach that Sony on Leica M and it’s been reported several times at various places that M lenses below 50mm don’t perform well on Sony A7/A7r.
I hate both D-SLRs Canon Nikon and Leica RF, both must die for better real true digital photographic cameras.
Phase One , on the other hand , is a real great camera system that should survive through years and years although even they might go mirrorless design with their IQ380 or whatever coming.
Phase one? You really think you need a phase one to take better photos? lol. Phase one is a profitable venture if you can find one million millionaires who will buy that camera. If not, then it’s nothing more than a Leica failure. Canikon soends multi millions to make affordable cameras for all markets. Leica spends small amounts of money in comparison to make budgetless non af lenses for the rich poser. Leica has it easy.
PhaseOne sells rebranded Mamiya bodies which are SLRs.
Reminds me of when I worked at Motorola and our then-CEO, Ed Zander, called us to an all-hands-on-deck meeting regarding the rumored “iPhone”. He laughed and said, “The iPhone is not a real phone. No one would ever want one.”
What I read is that Leica has started to think about an APS-C, autofocus camera with fix lenses from Germany and Zoom from a partner. http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/leica-ceo-syas-not-sure-dslr-will-still-be-alive-in-10-years-no-way-we-go-mft/
However, I remember that an APS-C’s camera was announced by the CEO of Leica to a UK journalist when Fuji announced the X-Pro 1 and then nothing happened, on contrary they denied the rumors. Again, I think they would like to satisfy a fringe of customers that would like to by a red dot badged camera but which can no afford a M240.
In my point of view if I need something to read the time I choose a Swatch. If I like to buy a nice watch I do not spend 2000 or 3000 $ for an ETA movement, I prefer spend my money for a nice Zenith or IWC.
Personnaly I’m happy to see that I have now an alternative to use my Leica lenses. Zeiss has also announced a E-Line for the A7. The A7R combined with the Otus works fine and costs less than a single M240. So what else?
what’s the point of having A7 or A7r and Zeiss Otus + adapter? you might as well just get normal dSLR and Otus – better handling for sure
“We are now the world’s biggest manufacturer of film cameras on the planet…”
I think you’ll find that Lomo/Holga sell a lot more than 700 film cameras per year.
And their users are quite enthusiastic about film. I know I have fun with mine and they turn out exhibition-quality prints.
The Leica statement is naive and a smokescreen. I would like to see how many film cameras they sold each year of the last five years. I will bet it has steadily gone down over time. And what would they project for next year? 600-700 film cameras? I doubt it.
Oh please. You wouldnt know reality if it grew on a coconut with a leica label and hit you on the head. In fact, you would like that because you believe in anything leica. leica is your church, and you have to believe, day in and day out. You believe too much in believing and not enough in not believing.
CC: How is their statement a smokescreen? What are they trying to cover up by claiming that they are the largest film camera producer on the planet? Why should they make this statement to try to cover up an uncomfortable fact? I don’t understand what you are saying.
you missed out 35mm film format 😉
Hopefully, Leica will die in ten years and then we all dont have to hear from the fanboy twits that plague every camera site on the web. god knows we need more leica wanksters on the web.
It make sensor not to go for M43. FF for superb quality and APSC for good quality but with smaller gear. M43 is not the way to go……its just expensive but not smaller then APSC but with way worse picture quality.
take a look at the panasonic gm1
DSLR is dead. Destroy mirror or be destroyed. FF and APS-C mirrorless is the present and the future. No more DSLR.
Dslr mirror is destroyed. They too it away and gave you a puny little lcd they call an evf, than charged you more for it and like a sucker, you bought it. case closed.
Score:
Dead zombie DSLRs: 80-90% of the market and profitable.
Living strong viable mirrorless: Split across at least a half dozen incompatible formats, bleeding money, bleeding market share.
Conclusion: DSLR is dead.
Why do mirrorless feel compelled to keep repeating DSLR is dead at every opportunity?
I don’t hear DSLR people claiming anything of the sort. I mean, DLSR users don’t even care. They’re just going out and taking pictures, not fondling their equipment as though it were some religion.
I first laughed when I read: Sony is the new Leica! But after thinking and reading what the CEO said. YES it’s so!
Yes, you need a red dot and a sucker to have a leica.
See you in 10 years!
The interesting element is that Leica chose to go digital mirrorless, and ‘cropped’. Don’t forget that in the past they went dSLR, produced the R series, which was NOT a big success.
Now can one read in the statement that they don’t trust FF35? No, they will cover it with the M series.
However with the new Vario APS they’ll certainly clash with Fuji, having the advantage of their own Leica lenses.
As always people with real money will prefer the red dot, and Fuji users will think they have a better deal.
Where does that leave m4/3. I’d say, unconcerned. They can probably compete on their own with top lenses, and hopefully the coming Sigma foveon.
As in this latter case the development of digital is greatly simplified by the loss of mirror, *and smaller sensor* so Leica is taking the correct decision.
In the future you will have smaller Leica, a little less expensive, with a German body and German prices. Look at the Vario for inspiration. Leica IQ is still there, for a price.
IQ, But it’s not worth the price. 8% better does not mean it is worth 8 times the price.
This is where you are wrong. The 8 times the price part does not come from the sensor or other tech sfuff inside the camera. It comes from the hand assembled bullet proof bodies that they make. I have been to the factory and every element of that camera is hand assembled. Yes I am a Leica owner and I am a Sony A7r owner (soon to be). To totally different cameras when it comes to build quality and precision.
hand assembled bullet proof bodies.” LOL, did you just make that up or did leica tell you that? the finest mechanical cameras were the nikon f and f2, have you ever heard of any leica shutter rated over a certain number? Cloth shutters while the world was using titanium foil. Cloth man, you wear clothes made of cloth! Leica is delicate, and their rangefinder with any lsight bump would require servicing, and that was back then when they were better. The leicas of today ar even worse. You’re not fooling anyone but yourself about leica construction. this is where YOU ARE WRONG. Your digital leica today couldnt even last 20 thousand cycles without breaking.
Yes, leica is so good at sensors they dont even make their own. they cant even make electronics worth a damn and have to beg panasonic for theirs, not to mention that their rangfinders are made in portugal. Leica, so german most germans dont use them.
“As always people with real money will prefer the red dot, and Fuji users will think they have a better deal.”
As always, the people with true creativity use something else. Seriously, what groundbreaker photographer has used Leica since, I dunno, Henri Cartier-Bresson? They are toys for the ultra-rich.
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2009/09/a-leica-wont-improve-your-photography.html
So many things won’t improve your photography and yet they are done by the millions every day – let’s not be innocent – we live in the full era of the Fetish, where 20% of the population has 70% of the wealth, in so called democratic countries.
OTH Leica still has a positive influence on the industry with it radical design from the Bauhaus. For instance to give its brand to Panny, it prevented FW correction of ‘its’ lenses.
The Vario is still expensive, but half the price of an M, so it’s not that they are not making an effort, at more democracy. How many units had crafted can they produce every day? They don’t even have the basis to go cheap. But look at the mess Hasselblad made with their Stellars: would you like Leica go down the drain like this, simply because you don’t have the money?
Thats because the people with the wealth are the job creators and people who innovate. Leica is an example of that. Success is something that is worked hard for and the reward is items like the Leica M camera’s, maybe Leica wants to sell its products to people like that.
It’s funny that every time one mentions the price of Leica someone possibly someone from the vast American Plains, a bankster or a money recycler feels deeply offended.
That must be guilt complex. I really hope that our local offending millionaires are made to wash the communal cesspits.
BTW I don’t remeber that 50 yrs. ago Leica was so impossibly expensive: it probably became so when it migrated to Canada, among those compassionate souls 🙂
LOL, I won’t engage you again on this as I am sure the VAST readers of this site are laughing their asses off at us going back and forth. I will say this, I grew up very poor worked my way through school and made a life for my self and family. Jealously sir is very unbecoming for anyone to put on the internet. My employ’s are very well taken care of and I share most of my profits with them in bounes’s. American sir your country will never be remember that!
You are partly correct, except that 40 or 50 years ago, a Leica was expensive. I recall reading that for many years, a Leica and lens was about the cost of a mid-career professional’s monthly salary in the USA. So in 1970, a M4 and 50 Summicron was around $500, and a mid-level engineer earned $6000 – $10,000. Today, a Leica and 50 lens is $11,000 or so, and an engineer earns $120,000. Possibly Leica’s price increase has been a bit more that salary inflation. But the real news is that a $200 camera today is a superb picture-making machine, an incredible bargain when you consider a professional’s salary.
Yes, it just so happens that lucky for Leica HCB is the greatest photographer. But this however proves that Leica has been doing nothing but riding HCB’s coat tails for all these decades.
Interesting to read and no question the DSLR will be impacted by the 4/3rds cameras, but then those will be impacted by the cell phone cameras too.
And funny to read Mr. Schopf thinks they are the only film camera makers. Bzzz! Wrong! DHW-Fototechnik still makes their Hy6, Hy6 Mod2 and 6008AF Medium format SLR cameras, plus the FX, FX-N, FW and FT Twin Lens cameras (TLR’s).
Eric, it’s better to read original interview not this cut-down version. He mentioned largest 35mm film camera not film camera of any format
I think this guy is a market manipulator. He’s just “talking his own book,” trying to influence/scare away Canikon DSLR buyers.
The more nuanced truth is: Even if DSLRS become a minority in 10 years, there will be EM1-like hybrid mirrorless cameras supporting DSLR lenses. There are millions of DSLRs lenses our there. Those lenses won’t disappear anywhere anytime soon. In 10 years, there will be smaller camera bodies (DSLR or not) supporting those lenses if the market demands small.
What % of bodies will be DSLRs? Only time will tell. The “demise of DSLR” predictions haven’t come out true for the past two years.
If I were a buyer, I would just buy what suits my needs today, instead of worrying about what will happen in 10 years.
[DSLR & u4/3 user here… who marvel at the quality of his FF DSLR images & portability of u4/3]
dSLR will go down the drain not because they produce poor quality but because it has been demonstrated that the mirror has become an unnecessary limb in photographic evolution.
Leica was always the alternative to dSLR, because SLR branched out from Rangefinders in the 1950s, so a Leica CEO can read the telltale signs.
For the same reason it’s laudable that they branch out an entirely new line of product, the Vario ILS which will ride the mirrorless advancement.
Leica is also well known to slap Leica label on Panasonic cameras and sell them at 2-3x price.
Everybody is entitled to have their own opinion. However, imo, people shouldn’t make any judgement based on what Leica CEO says. After all, he’s in a highly biased position, and will only say things that will maximize his own company’s profits.