New "Leica" digitals

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Go to www.dpreview.com and check out the new Panasonic digital cameras with Leica zoom lenses.

-- Sanford Lee (sanford@usa.com), September 17, 2001

Answers

I saw a price tag of $765 for the 4 meg camera with the 3 power "Vario Summicron"-- with a manual focus and exposure option and most likely a good lens, it may be a good deal if the software and electronics measure up. Not exatly an digital M body though, is it. I wonder whose idea it was to call it a Panasonic and not a Leica.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), September 17, 2001.

I wonder whose idea it was to call it a Panasonic and not a Leica.

Probably Leica's! given the industrial design of these offerings compared to those of the Digilux, Minilux, C1, C11, Z2X, binoculars, projectors... In fact, wasn't Porsche involved in some of these designs?

-- Tse-Sung Wu (tsesung@yahoo.com), September 17, 2001.


I don't know but Porsche did a lot of work on the Volkswagen line but they still carry the Volkswagen name plate. Interesting to see how some corporations act. We can only guess about how they are thinking. Still, a Leica lens on a Panasonic camera - interesting.

-- mark (mramra@qwest.net), September 17, 2001.

Who came up with the name LUMIX I wonder? Those fellas might want to consult their N/A marketing rep before printing the literature.

I haven’t had a good laugh in a while, thanks guys.

-- Jeff Stuart (jstuart1@tampabay.rr.com), September 17, 2001.


I wonder whose idea it was to call it a Panasonic and not a Leica.

Probably people who wanted to see hundreds of thousands sold rather than 10,000. If you were Panasonic, would you want to see your cameras sold through the Leica dealer channel?

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), September 17, 2001.



Good point Jeff- I didn't think about how selling only through Leica dealers would limit sales.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), September 17, 2001.

Also interesting - the associated article on the death of Silicon Film (AKA eFilm). Leaving Leica dit-backs (when if ever) as the sole route to digital shooting with M/R lenses.

Vario-Summicron, hmmmm? - say a 35-50-75 in M-mount?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), September 17, 2001.


I wasn’t clear enough . LUMIX, read phonetically (at least by me) sounds like LUHM-icks which sounds like “lummox”, which in American English means a stumbling, clumsy person. No doubt they want us to pronounce it LOOM-icks. But my first take just made me laugh. A lummox camera. It still makes me laugh.

And yes, Panasonic will sell these (we can hope) by the boatload.

Cheers,

-- Jeff Stuart (jstuart1@tampabay.rr.com), September 17, 2001.


One could buy one and pry off the Panasonic logo and replace it with a Leica logo....or just cover it up with tape and let the lone "Leica" name on the lens shine brightly to all those that might care (none)....The brilliant part is the sun shade for the LCD, what a truly great idea. Those damn LCD's are all but worthless in bright light.

-- Dave Doyle (soilsouth@home.com), September 18, 2001.

Actually, just get some of those free 'red dots' from Leica service in NY.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), September 18, 2001.


I think the nikon 5000 looks a lot more interesting.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), September 18, 2001.

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