Is the ME ugly?

[noimmunity]

Originally Posted by pieter

To be honest, I think this anti-panda M8, which you seem to find good-looking, illustrates clearly that different people have different tastes.

Thanks, Pieter. I was expecting it .

The comparison is relevant of course because the M-E basically is an anti-panda with off-color chrome.

I would like the M-E much better if the leatherette were coordinated with the blue-grey chrome.

[clicker]

I actually think it is not bad,with black instead of chrome I might be seriously interested.It could serve as my x-pro back up.

[crispy12]

Not to mentioned that you scratched out the white M8 letters...

[Sunti]

The color combo reminds me of a lomo Diana.

The body covers look cheap, like it's made of vinyl from a roadside diner.

I'll stick with the black M9 personally.

[noimmunity]

Originally Posted by crispy12

Not to mentioned that you scratched out the white M8 letters...

Actually removed them with rubbing alcohol, not scratching. Once the white was removed, my photos started to look much better

Originally Posted by clicker

It could serve as my x-pro back up.

Makes a nice combo, but the M8 in the bag gets kind of heavy at the end of the day.

[dseelig]

I have been shooting Leicas since 1977 This thing is butt ugly

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by dseelig

I have been shooting Leicas since 1977 This thing is butt ugly

Well, I've been shooting 'em since 1969 and it looks fine to me, so maybe experience and aesthetics are not closely related.

Also, I've seen some really beautiful butts in my time.

Cheers,

R.

[jtm6]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Also, I've seen some really beautiful butts in my time.

Cheers,

R.

Best post ever.

[rich_]

I saw one in the flesh today (Camera not ass unfortunately) And it's far better looking colour wise than the pictures would suggest.

[buzzardkid]

So,

anybody bring up this yet?



vs




See anything familiar-looking?

That bottom model is a wartime Leica IIIc Kugellager camera, highly collectable in good condition.

Now how could any serious collector withstand the M-E when Leica is putting out a camera that resembles that wartime IIIc in design that much?

I've seen the M-E at Meister Camera in Berlin and the color of both body and 'chrome' is real close to the wartime Barnack. Too much so to be a coincidence, I'd say.

[Pablito]

So, this thread is till going, eh? That's funny.

Interesting to look at the poll. While the majority disagrees or strongly disagrees that the camera is ugly, a very large minority agrees or strongly agrees that it IS ugly. If you compared this to other Leica models, I doubt the poll would be anywhere near close.

So concluding that the design / color scheme is unpopular at least among some significant segment of potential buyers is not out of the question. What might be interesting from a strictly marketing standpoint would be to try to determine the degree to which the design / color scheme actually prevented sales outright, or influenced the decision to upgrade to the more expensive M. Or what a poll of folks involved with product design would reveal.

I can't imagine Leica marketing would be happy about this "controversy" if you could even call it that given that poll-takers on this forum are already a preselected bunch. I wonder what a broader pool of camera enthusiasts would think, including those who may not have heard of, or care about the Leica brand.

Finally, I do agree with Roger about Nikon's red stripe. Very silly, actually. But I don't care enough about it to cover it up, and I think the black tape crowd is generally overzealous about stuff like this.

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by Pablito

..... I think the black tape crowd is generally overzealous about stuff like this.

I'm glad not to be a zealot then. I've got a dark green dot over my Leica-red-dot-graffiti, and I've also got a dark green dot over the silver lens release button.

Zero zealousness!

.............. Chris

[pieter]

I doubt the Leica designers would be surprised with the outcome of this poll. Almost any non standard color Leica has been a big controversy. If it's not black or steel grey/chrome it's a controversy. Most of the voters in this thread probably have an opinion on black chrome versus black paint, so it would be silly to think they won't have an opinion on a dark-grey that most us would think of as non-standard (nice find on the Kugellager).

Basically this M9 is designed to not be the M9 or the M9P, since it's supposed to be a different price category. Else it would seem like just a price reduction on a digital camera that's years old. (which it obviously is, but the color helps the sell of this reduction)
And they needed to consolidate the two different colors in a one color-model which would be able to take both black and chrome lenses. (I dont think they succeeded in making this a good option for chrome lenses)

I doubt many people outside of these forums care as much as we do about the color of this camera. Without the preconceptions about what a Leica camera should look like, I bet most wouldn't worry about the color so much.
We're just not the target audience of this, and if you care enough about the design you probably already have a M9P or you would prefer to buy a M10 later.

[FrozenInTime]

The more I see the M-E the less I dislike it ; even thinking it would look great with a chrome lens.

However the more I see the big M and the big red dot on the M-240 the less I like it.
Once I've blacked out the M and red dot, the front face is going to look very plain without the illumination window

[umcelinho]

SOOO, I've handled an M-E earlier today at the Leica shop. Just dull dark gray. I didn't dislike it, though I much prefer the chrome or black color schemes. If it were a metallic dark gray it would have been just really sweet. The chrome knobs make it easier to match a chrome lens indeed. Looks sexy with a v1 35mm Summicron mounted on it (goggled version). Didn't miss the preview lever at all. Considering getting one due to the 2 yr warranty, vs an used M9 with thousands of actuations and no warranty at all (apart from the seller's). Might tape it black...er.

a funny coincidence: the shop also had an M9P Hermès. STUNNING.

[kdemas]

Originally Posted by FrozenInTime

The more I see the M-E the less I dislike it ; even thinking it would look great with a chrome lens.

However the more I see the big M and the big red dot on the M-240 the less I like it.
Once I've blacked out the M and red dot, the front face is going to look very plain without the illumination window

You're not allowed to buy any more equipment anyway. That M9P of yours is sweet Donald.

[FrozenInTime]

Originally Posted by kdemas

You're not allowed to buy any more equipment anyway. That M9P of yours is sweet Donald.

Thanks Kent - but it's out classing my GXR and OM-D soo much that I'm thinking I should sell them and get the M9-P a companion.


On the M-E, I think it's interesting that several dealers (popflash and ffordes) have already had ex-demo M-Es for sale.
I can only surmise that these are the result of customer returns on aesthetic grounds.
It also seems that most dealers have now completely run out of M9s and M9-Ps ( with their classic good looks )

[Doug]

Originally Posted by FrozenInTime

...On the M-E, I think it's interesting that several dealers (popflash and ffordes) have already had ex-demo M-Es for sale.
I can only surmise that these are the result of customer returns on aesthetic grounds....

Perhaps, and I'll guess in many cases the camera may have been unboxed and shown/demonstrated without having gone far from the store.

A few years ago I bought a new "demo" Leica from RFF sponsor PopFlash at about 10% off list, very welcome relief on such a pricy item. I couldn't tell to what extent the camera/lens had been demonstrated, and it all worked out very well.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Doug

Perhaps, and I'll guess in many cases the camera may have been unboxed and shown/demonstrated without having gone far from the store.

A few years ago I bought a new "demo" Leica from RFF sponsor PopFlash at about 10% off list, very welcome relief on such a pricy item. I couldn't tell to what extent the camera/lens had been demonstrated, and it all worked out very well.

True. 'Ex-demo' may imply 'a lot of interest'.

Cheers,

R.

[umcelinho]

I saw a used M-E on Popflash for $5k returned by a customer who didn't like the colour. Good deal, still had the yr warranty available!

Btw, for those who really dislike the colour.. why not just gaffer tape the top & bottom plates roughly? I will probably get an M-E instead of a black M9 due to the warranty, the price gap is not too big... then most likely add black tape to it and make a M-P Derelict

[D.J.]

I saw another one yesterday (in daylight), it still looks quite blue to my eye.

[jsrockit]

I love it. Looks great in person. That said, I like all Leica m models...even the hello kitty m6.

[RObert Budding]

Don't worry - there will eventually be an ostrich-clad Hermes edition.

[jeffrypittman]

I don't think it is ugly. Also, if Leica made it as beautiful (in my opinion) as the Silver M9-P or M it would be like making a 3 series BMW that is better looking than a 7 series BMW. Bad example, but they did need to find a balance.

[el fotografo]

well,

I've always liked things that are a little different
or better yet, discounted,
so I bought one of PopFlash's "I don't like the color" M-E bodies
Arrived today, same as new with two year warranty, 80 actuations!

special limited edition "Das Boot" model
Now I can use my Zeiss Sonnar 50mm lenses at native focal length!
The M8, one M5, and bunch of other nice stuff on the auction block to pay for it..

Dark grey is the new black!