Leica 10MP Digital Back for R8, R9

Some UK Leica dealers are now taking pre-orders for this item for
delivery Q4/2004. The 10MP digital back has been developed with Kodak
and integrates with the Leica R8/R9 35mm SLR camera body to form a
fully convertible film/digital SLR.

Projected UK retail price is £3299 including 17.5% VAT. Without tax
this is £2807, or about Eur. 4250,--. This seems competitive for a
10MP pro quality digital back.

With the Nikon D2X still being developed, could it be that Leica will
offer the only genuine competition to the Canon EOS 1D II and 1Ds?

Watch this space!

"TP" wrote in message
...
Some UK Leica dealers are now taking pre-orders for this item for
delivery Q4/2004. The 10MP digital back has been developed with Kodak
and integrates with the Leica R8/R9 35mm SLR camera body to form a
fully convertible film/digital SLR.

Projected UK retail price is £3299 including 17.5% VAT. Without tax
this is £2807, or about Eur. 4250,--. This seems competitive for a
10MP pro quality digital back.

With the Nikon D2X still being developed, could it be that Leica will
offer the only genuine competition to the Canon EOS 1D II and 1Ds?

Watch this space!

Competitive, certainly- and I believe one may preorder the Digital R-Module
and R9 body at the same time and save £150. Bear in mind the 1.37x "cropping
factor" on the lenses. I'd not be surprised if sales of the 21-35mm R
increase dramatically, as well as the value of used R8 bodies. A reputable
used dealer in the UK currently sells R8s for about £799- say £4100 for the
pair, putting it somewhat below the EOS 1Ds street price. IMO the excellent
ergonomics and optics of the Leica would edge it for me, but my prejudices
towards manual focus fixed focal length lenses (and against Canon SLRs) are
well documented.

BTW, a certain, unnameable source has informed me that Nikon have an F6 in
development with similar modularity to the R8/9, including a potential
digital back. I'd take this with a pinch of salt (especially given the web
coverage of the same rumour lately), only the same source was remarkably
astute in reporting the EOS 1D Mk II ahead of the press release.

--
Martin Francis http://www.sixbysix.co.uk
"Go not to Usenet for counsel, for it will say both no, and yes, and
no, and yes...."

"Martin Francis" wrote:

BTW, a certain, unnameable source has informed me that Nikon have an F6 in
development with similar modularity to the R8/9, including a potential
digital back. I'd take this with a pinch of salt (especially given the web
coverage of the same rumour lately), only the same source was remarkably
astute in reporting the EOS 1D Mk II ahead of the press release.


Nikon have been developing it for three years now. It would replace
both the F5 and D1H at the same time.

But it may not appear, such is the decline in sales of the F5 and
F100. In this sector of the market, film is well and truly dead.

Meanwhile, Leica will no doubt find buyers for all the R Digital backs
they can make.

"TP" wrote in message
...
Nikon have been developing it for three years now. It would replace
both the F5 and D1H at the same time.

But it may not appear, such is the decline in sales of the F5 and
F100. In this sector of the market, film is well and truly dead.

Meanwhile, Leica will no doubt find buyers for all the R Digital backs
they can make.

(Tony, would it surprise you to learn i've lately been looking at the Leica
R8 and weighing up pros and cons with the Contax RTS III? I'm sure it
wouldn't!)

--
Martin Francis http://www.sixbysix.co.uk
"Go not to Usenet for counsel, for it will say both no, and yes, and
no, and yes...."

"Martin Francis" wrote:

(Tony, would it surprise you to learn i've lately been looking at the Leica
R8 and weighing up pros and cons with the Contax RTS III? I'm sure it
wouldn't!)


*Nothing* would surprise me, Martin.

;-)