The day the music died.....

[Vickko]

"Leica Camera has already ceased production of film cameras."

<http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201008220143.html>

[principe azul]

I will get the popcorn...

[J J Kapsberger]

Wasn't there a thread about this recently? Hasn't Leica simply paused, not abandoned, film body production to use up accumulated parts inventory?

[xayraa33]

No need to fret.
There are plenty of good used Leica cameras on the market.

[Alpacaman]

Originally Posted by J J Kapsberger

Wasn't there a thread about this recently? Hasn't Leica simply paused, not abandoned, film body production to use up accumulated parts inventory?

This. I thought that, being a small company, they can't continually produce all lines at once, so they alternate. Of course, digital gets more production time as there is more demand.

[Rogrund]

Originally Posted by J J Kapsberger

Wasn't there a thread about this recently?

Yes, there was! Here.

[PMCC]

Taken with a grain of silver salts.

[Neare]

There was a thread about this quite a while back. Basically the reason they gave is beacause they had heaps of stock, so they have temporarily ceased production to maximise the digital M production line.. which is running behind. An interview later with leica said that production could be started up in an instant.

For example... you can still buy A La Carte can't you. So no, they have not ceased production for Film M's entirely.

[Keith]

I heard their production line was busy with sub contract work ... assembling Bessas and Ikons for Cosina.

[Juan Valdenebro]

I thought the ones wanting less repairs were ZI and Leica...

Cheers,

Juan

[Pirate]

Maybe Canon made them stop?

[Kristopher]

It fun to see how often rumors about Leica stopping production of film camera comes up.

No offence to anyone, but I feel it's a bit like if some people are waiting for Leica to stop building film camera too announce the final and total triumph of digital and have the final word.

Just my opinion.

K

[Keith]

I sometimes muse about how much crap Leica would be in if they hadn't developed and released the digital M!

Dead and gone I suspect!

[wgerrard]

The Asahi story is based on an alleged quote from May. Wouldn't it be rather easy for someone to telephone or email Leica and ask if they've left the film camera business?

[back alley]

Originally Posted by Kristopher

It fun to see how often rumors about Leica stopping production of film camera comes up.

No offence to anyone, but I feel it's a bit like if some people are waiting for Leica to stop building film camera too announce the final and total triumph of digital and have the final word.

Just my opinion.

K

this will, eventually, be the case...

[Leigh Youdale]

Originally Posted by wgerrard

The Asahi story is based on an alleged quote from May. Wouldn't it be rather easy for someone to telephone or email Leica and ask if they've left the film camera business?

Sigh! Someone did, they haven't, and it's very old news that the OP only just seems to have come across. It's not the Apocalypse -yet!

[Mackinaw]

Originally Posted by wgerrard

The Asahi story is based on an alleged quote from May. Wouldn't it be rather easy for someone to telephone or email Leica and ask if they've left the film camera business?

Somebody has. This is from "Leica Rumors" a few weeks back:

"I contacted Christian Erhardt (Vice President of Marketing Photographic Division, Leica Camera USA) and this is the answer he gave me:

“Your questions comes timely, in fact just earlier this week I was in our factory where I saw the production of Leica’s M product lines. While we do not have a constant production of certain lenses and cameras, we have the ability to produce batches of those products. For example: Certain exotic lenses & cameras are produced in batches to be able to produce an economically feasible number of products.

In this case the M analog production line is just next to Leica’s M9 production line to which we have shifted our focus to better manage the backlog and reduce the wait for our customers.

As you might be well aware from the past, we have always stated that as long as it makes sense for Leica Camera AG to produce M analog cameras we will do so. At this time we are reaching our targeted numbers for M analog cameras and do well with the offering of Leica M a la Carte cameras. Just recently Leica Camera AG offered a special Leica M7 Hermes Camera. This camera was quickly sold out and is a sought after collectors camera.

At this time I have no indication that the Leica M analog cameras will be taken out of Leica’s product offering.”

[J J Kapsberger]

There you have it. Long live film.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Mackinaw

Somebody has. This is from "Leica Rumors" a few weeks back:

"I contacted Christian Erhardt (Vice President of Marketing Photographic Division, Leica Camera USA) and this is the answer he gave me:

“Your questions comes timely, in fact just earlier this week I was in our factory where I saw the production of Leica’s M product lines. While we do not have a constant production of certain lenses and cameras, we have the ability to produce batches of those products. For example: Certain exotic lenses & cameras are produced in batches to be able to produce an economically feasible number of products.

In this case the M analog production line is just next to Leica’s M9 production line to which we have shifted our focus to better manage the backlog and reduce the wait for our customers.

As you might be well aware from the past, we have always stated that as long as it makes sense for Leica Camera AG to produce M analog cameras we will do so. At this time we are reaching our targeted numbers for M analog cameras and do well with the offering of Leica M a la Carte cameras. Just recently Leica Camera AG offered a special Leica M7 Hermes Camera. This camera was quickly sold out and is a sought after collectors camera.

At this time I have no indication that the Leica M analog cameras will be taken out of Leica’s product offering.”

Read: ... We'll shut the door when we think it's time!

That statement does have a certain inevitability about it to my ears!

[Keith]

Leica will be like alll those rock bands from the sixties and seventies that won't go away ... there will be come backs with the associated celebratory tours!

[alexnotalex]

They're a commercial enterprise with shareholders, it's their primary responsibility to produce what makes most money.

Film Leicas outlast their owners. Buy a used M3, shoot with it for 30 years, pass it on to your son in your will. How much money has Leica just made? zero bucks.

Digital Leicas - buy an M9 this year then an M10 in 3 years time then an M 11 in 6 years time. (aha! Leica have just sold you 3 cameras in 10 years.)

It is not from the benevolence of Leica that we expect our photographic equipment, but from their regard to their own interest

best,
Alex

[RayPA]

I heard they gave the last Leica off the line to Steve McCurry to shoot on the streets of NY.


/

[PMCC]

With the last roll of APX25, no doubt.

[Kristopher]

No to say that Leica has or is benevolent, but it is not a public company. Andreas Kauffmann is the owner now, no shareholders anymore for Leica since he's been in the picture.

Originally Posted by alexnotalex

They're a commercial enterprise with shareholders, it's their primary responsibility to produce what makes most money.

Film Leicas outlast their owners. Buy a used M3, shoot with it for 30 years, pass it on to your son in your will. How much money has Leica just made? zero bucks.

Digital Leicas - buy an M9 this year then an M10 in 3 years time then an M 11 in 6 years time. (aha! Leica have just sold you 3 cameras in 10 years.)

It is not from the benevolence of Leica that we expect our photographic equipment, but from their regard to their own interest

best,
Alex

[Steve M.]

Maybe we could combine this w/ the "Film Is Dead" thread, and add a "Kodak Sells Film Business: Plans To Open New String Of Yellow Coffeehouses" thread on the side.