[Leica] M8 alternative? --- why not wait?

[chs2018 at med.cornell.edu (Chris Saganich)]

I had the latest D in my hands not too long ago.  A nice little piece of 
pocket camera I have to say.
Chris S.


At 11:15 AM 9/18/2006, you wrote:
>    For those of us who have not decided to buy the M8,
>is Leica Digilux 3 system a good alternative?  It is
>being billed as Leica's third system: M, R and now D.
>The new system allows interchangeable AF lenses. The
>first lens to be available for this FourThirds system
>is a Leica Vario-Elmar 14-50 (35mm equivalence of
>28-100) f2.8-3.5 ASPH. Future Leica lenses will
>include a super-wide, macro and telephoto zoom.  The
>camera ("made in Germany," but made with Panasonic)
>has anti-shake and anti-dust features.  It should be
>available as soon as or a little later than the M8.
>    Aside from the convenience of digital, the M8 seems
>to offer no great advantages over the M-line in
>general.  Both lack AF which is crucial for some
>applications.  Both are unable to go longer than
>100-135.  Both have limited macro.  With the new Leica
>Four Thirds system, all these limitations are overcome
>AND you can still use Leica glass in a fairly compact
>system.
>    Why buy an M8 when you can get a SYSTEM with very
>different capabilities for about the same price.  Use
>the M3-7 when your picture shooting requires
>deliberate study.  Use the Leica Digilux 3 system when
>you're shooting fast ("fast" both in terms of the
>subject and your schedule).
>    What wrong with my logic?  Is a FourThirds system
>too limiting in terms of resolution and noise?  (The
>reviews, to be out soon, might indicate otherwise.)  I
>understand that the M8 allows us to use our beloved
>M-lenses, but is it not possible that the Leica D ASPH
>lenses will be as good -- or better, as they are
>designed for digital?
>    I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I put my
>thoughts out for discussion as a kind of devil's
>advocate for waiting a while longer before ordering
>the M8.  (The worst that can happen if you do wind up
>getting an M8 is that you'll get a later model with
>all the kinks ironed out.)
>    Tom Pastorello
>
>Follow this link for details about the D system:
>
>
>http://www.cameratown.com/cameras/detail_page_sql.cfm?productid=Digilux3
>
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Chris Saganich, Sr. Physicist
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
New York Presbyterian Hospital
chs2018@med.cornell.edu
Ph. 212.746.6964
Fax. 212.746.4800
Office A-0049