Leica 9/09/09 is Official

It's official: confirming rampant and hotly discussed rumors that have been swirling for weeks, Leica Camera AG today announced that on 9/09/09 it will introduce "a collection of groundbreaking new products, designed and manufactured for all photographers, novice and professional alike." The announcement, via live webcast, will take place at the following time:

9:00 a.m. in New York
2:00 p.m. in London
3:00 p.m. in Berlin
5:00 p.m. in Moscow
9:00 p.m. in Beijing
10:00 p.m. in Tokyo

Here's today's announcement by Leica CEO Rudi Spiller.

Mike

Comments

[Mark Sperry]

If they make a camera that can compete with my D700 in terms of quality and usability I would totally sell it for an M9.

oh-please-oh-please-oh-please be that camera!

[Will]

It is no surprise that most assume that this will be the M9, given that the M series is Leica's backbone in nearly all ways and given the seeming obsession with the number 9 in the selection of the date. I've taken as given that the m9 was coming on that day for some time now.

But the language used here, "novice and professional alike," fascinates me. An m9 isn't a novice product. What are they playing at? Will they offer a new camera or camera system all their own? Will they offer a branded version of Panasonic's (also rumored) GF1?

I've been on pins and needles wondering what was coming in the way of m9 specifics. Now I'm more curious what the other products are. If Leica's new strategy is a tripod (s2, m9, novice product), then what is the third leg?

Incidentally, I think the m9 will be the great camera everyone hopes it will be. I'm convinced that Leica and Kodak both have too much riding on this, both learned what they needed to from the m8, and that all truly significant Leica models are numbered in multiples of 3.

[Eli Burakian]

...I'm sure the camera will be retailing for $99,999 as well.

[scott kirkpatrick]

A frame by frame analysis of the Leica video spot that you link to shows that between 0:54 and 0:58, there is a digital rangefinder showing whose controls and top plate are not the same as the M8's. The Leica User Forum explores this at length.

scott

[Grant Kench]

Evidently we don't get an announcement in the Southern Hemisphere. Probably need time to synchronise controls to work the other way around down here.

[michael walker]

maybe it's a compact camera made of sapphire glass...

[John Roberts]

Whatever it is, I'm sure I won't be able to afford one.

[Jim]

Grant says: "Evidently we don't get an announcement in the Southern Hemisphere. Probably need time to synchronise controls to work the other way around down here."

Grant, as Einstein explained, time and place of the announcement is relative to the price of the camera. Or something like that.

[Paul H]

"...designed and manufactured for all photographers"

Even one's with normal sized wallets? ;-)

[Roger Bradbury]

Mike, you might want to start saving for your new DMD camera.

[Ian]

Grant,

You get the same announcement as everybody, it's a webcast.

What you don't get is a reminder which timezone you are in ;-)

[Peter]

"But the language used here, "novice and professional alike," fascinates me. An m9 isn't a novice product. What are they playing at?"

Exactly. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but M's haven't been the professional photographer's weapon of choice for sometime now. If "they" are to be believed, most of their sales are to well-heeled amateurs and especially, to collectors. Which "novice" and which "professional" are they targeting here exactly?

[erlik]

There was this rumour that two cameras will be announced on 9.9. One is M9 with the 36x24 sensor and another would be a digital M6. Don't remember where I read it.

Now, what a digital M6 might be? Judging by that meeting with LUG before the summer, not a micro 4/3 camera. Kodak is closemouthed, they didn't want to disclose the full specs of the S2 sensor...

[Tom Duffy]

While I too long for the day I could afford a new Leica, my M6 ttl has a lot of good years left in it. I'm glad Leica is still in the game. It's about the only low volume, high quality camera maker still standing. Bravo Leica!

[Chad Thompson]

AHHHH - what do I do now that's the same day Apple has their showing. I can't watch both - my head will surely explode.

[Keith Loh]

Novice = Dentists Professional = cardiac surgeons. No one else can afford these.

[Dean Johnston]

Hey!

Drat, that's 1 o'clock in the morning here where I'm on holiday - and with only dialup!

Dean (currently antipodean)

[Mark]

I take it that part of Leica's announcement will be their version of the Panasonic GF1 on the 9th then?

[Peter]

Anyone else find it significant that Panasonic just released their GF-1 basically one week to the day before this anticipated Leica announcement?

[Peter]

Also, anybody care to guess who might be designing the "Lumix" branded lenses for Panasonic?