Respected photo commentator, Steve Huff, has peered into his crystal ball and seen some Leica distruption. If he’s half right we could have been wrong in our own predictions, particularly about the imminent arrival an M9 replacement.
For starters, Steve’s crystal mist shows the much-anticipated M10, the replacement for the M9, disappearing into the depths of 2013. Maybe it will not be at Photokino in three weeks’ time after all.
Surprisingly, too, the ball hints at a new compact camera, perhaps even with interchangeable lenses, to upstage Leica’s six-month-old X2 which, says Steve, hasn’t been getting the customer love of the old X1.
The only thing that troubles me about the possibility of a delayed M10 is the fact that M9 prices have recently been reduced by as much as ten percent. This is unusual for Leica and I cannot understand why they would have done this except to prepare for a new model.
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble: All should be revealed on September 17. I can’t wait now.
by Mike Evans, 30 August 2012