Leica are are good at poker. They hold their cards extremely close to the chest. And the latest flurry of activity about a potential announcement at Leica functions later this month — I’ve had the opportunity to attend one in Sydney but unfortunately make it— is doing its job in generating interest moving towards fervour.
It provides an opportunity for some keen crystal ball gazing. But just for fun, let’s consider it in terms of the kid’s story of The Three Little Pigs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that whatever Leica bring out next will be a pig. It won’t be. It will be considered, chic and perform at high level. Instead, I’m thinking about the possibilities in the architectural terms of the children’s story.
A House of Straw.
Here is where I think about the the popular prophesy which is circulating everywhere over the Leica rumour sites. That is, the new camera to be announced will be a TL2 with a viewfinder. Why might we assign this hypothesis to the straw house category? Well, consider all the buyers of the TL2 when it was announced just a few months ago. It was released to reviews of how good it is, and no doubt it is a sleek and classy camera. But to simply plug in an electronic viewfinder and expect the APS Leica family to upgrade again after just a few months doesn’t really make sense. It would likely irritate many TL2 buyers to think that if they had just waited a few months they might have got the TL2 with viewfinder. It could even anger some of them after they spent their hard-earned on the TL2 in the middle of this year. On top of that, would an interchangeable lens APS camera of Leica quality cannibalise sales of the M series? Maybe, and maybe it all means that a TL2 with viewfinder would be a house of straw for Leica.
A House of Sticks.
A little more architecturally sound for the Leica business structure would be a new Panny-Leica (or should that be Leica-Panny) based on the Lumix GX8 or GX85. A m4/3 sensor interchangeable lens camera would not eat into M series sales to the same extent as the house of straw. And it would be an immensely satisfying and high performing piece of kit in the micro four-thirds world. The D-lux Typ 109 is now a few years old and maybe due for replacement in the Leica stable, so could this house of sticks make sense?
A House of bricks
Like a phoenix from the ashes, a reincarnation of the orphaned X Vario could be a candidate. No, I’m not entirely mad, at least I don’t think so, although my wife might give you a different view. The X Vario is much loved by its owners. Classy, great image quality, and a real Leica. But it was axed some time ago. Has that lull in proceedings provided an opportunity for the engineers and designers to simply carve the pop up flash out of the top corner and replace it with an EVF? It’s a perfect location for an viewfinder, top lefthand corner in the grand tradition. And an X Vario with its fixed lens wouldn’t eat into sales of Leica’s established lines, probably not even the Q. I’d buy one in a heartbeat.
Only about 15 more sleeps
In just over two weeks we will know what Leica have to announce. Will it be one of the above, or will it be entirely left field and they will announce something that nobody expects? They’ve done it before. No doubt there are people out there with test versions already, but Leica are very good with confidentiality and do keep their cards close to their chest. Eagerly anticipating whatever it will be, but in the meantime thinking some lighthearted hypotheses about what it might be….. Waiting, Waiting.
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All I would like to see is a new X 113.. Better ISO, Better AF, hell it can have the same lens.. I would definitely buy that as I love my X 113 so much..
I haven’t ever used or indeed even held an X113, Dave. X Vario yes, and X2 yes, but not X113. It’s great how Leica owners do form an emotional attachment to their cameras and deep brand loyalty. And we all look forward to what’s next. Crystal ball gazing. Kite flying. Enjoyable anticipation.
Yes, Wayne, I’d really buy the GX85 solution even at the expense of a small removable hot-shoe flash. Carry on gazing!
Great justwhen I convinced "She who must be obeyed " that I really really need an M, I got to wait see what this announcement!
Not long to wait. And maybe the strategy of presenting your finance manager with a "now let’s choose one of two options" will get a very positive response.
Love this story! I can now imagine a 3 little piggy rating system for rumors 😉
I’d also buy a new X Vario in a heartbeat! I’m also longing for a 50mm Q.
I’ll put together some X Vario Australian outback pub images at another time. That camera performs really well by itself, and also when accompanied by an ale or cider.
Thanks Wayne. We will know in about 2 weeks how well your crystal ball is working. I hope that it gave you a heads up on the Irish 1-2-3 in the Melbourne Cup. I hear that Shane Warne did well out of it.
William
Ahhhh, Shane Warne… "The King of Spain".
Yes William, Irish trained horses 1-2-3 in our big race over here on the other side of the world. Congratulations. Very well done. And the first-second trainers, the O’Brien son-father combination, have presented impressively in interviews. On the other hand, Shane Warne………enough said, but thank you Mr Grace for being graced with my initials. // While on the subject of horse racing you might be aware that Australia had a famous stayer named Leica Lover in the 1970s. Let’s trust that whatever Leica announce on Nov22 will also prove to be a thoroughbred.
Very few of us in Ireland are more than one field away from a horse and it is one of our great industries. In British racing, O’ Brien Sr has won 6 Derbys, 7 Ascot Gold Cups, 8 Coronation Cups etc, etc. In Ireland he is totally dominant; would you believe 12 Irish Derbys? O’Brien Jr won two of the 6 Epsom Derbys on horses trained by his father, but had to get out of the saddle because he got too tall. He is now training for just 18 months and has just won a race worth $3.6 million Au at the age of 24 years . He also trains jump horses, an area I am familiar with as a cousin of mine trained the winner of the Grand National in 2003.
Going back to cameras, I wonder should I get the experts at Paddypower Bookmakers to run their eyes over the forthcoming Leica announcement. You can bet on almost anything nowadays, not just horses. It would be nice to make a few Euros/Quid/Dollars out of a camera launch.
William
Well, I put my wish – but not my bet – on an X-ILC, (X-Vario body if they’ve got any left after the X113!) and leave the flash alone! The small vari-angle VF2 is the ideal solution, much better than a fixed-angle internal one, and much better than the monstrosity that wrecks the TL2. Unfortunately, Leica haven’t consulted me.
Hhhhhmmm John, now you’ve set me thinking again. I based the removal of the pop up flash in the House of Bricks option on the fact that there seems to be less need for it as high ISO capabilities dramatically increase. But I do acknowledge that many users do like the vari-angle capability of the VF2. So, what about a vari-angle viewfinder built in to that top corner of an X Vario, something like a top spec version of the inbuilt vari-angle EVF of the Panasonic GX85. Wishful thinking. All a bit of fun 😉