Qq infos "officielles" distillées par Leica...
Posté: dimanche 25 novembre 2007 - 14:46
Ci-dessous une newsletter que j'ai reçu de Stan Tamarkin, résumant le dernier rassemblement de la LHSA le mois dernier, en présence de l'un des principaux responsables de Leica. Celui-ci a distillé qq indications sur ce qui va arriver...
"At their meeting in Rochester, New York, October 11-14, members of the Leica Historical Society of America had the opportunity to hear, not once but twice, from Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, chairman of the board and principal shareholder in Leica AG.
At George Eastman House on Friday afternoon, October 12, Kaufmann received a Canadian-made Leica M4-2's to add to Leica's "Family Tree" in Germany from representatives of Elcan Technologies, formerly E. Leitz Canada. Had the team at Midland, Ontario, not taken over production of the M camera in the 'seventies, many doubt the Leica M marque would have survived. Kaufmann in turn presented Eastman House with a Leica M8 for its unequalled collection of photographic technology. He then discussed in some detail his plans to move Leica back to its historic home of Wetzlar.
Dr. Kaufmann proudly revealed that "Leitz Park", to be located at a new industrial site on the outskirts of Wetzlar, has already progressed through initial stages. Various government authorities have granted all necessary permits "in record time" and ground will be broken early in January for phase one, which will comprise buildings for Viaoptic and Weller, two small optical technology companies in Wetzlar recently acquired by the Kaufmann family holding company that also owns controlling interest in Leica. In August 2008, phase two will see the construction of a new, larger, state-of-the-art complex to house Leica itself. In May 2009, the final phase of development will include the development of a signature showcase, the Welt der Leica (the World of Leica), including a "Viseum"-Kaufmann's tag for a museum of the optical industry in Wetzlar-as well as photography exhibits, an expanded Leica Akademie, and Leica service facilities for visiting Leica photographers. Among other services, Kaufmann anticipates a restoration service and perhaps even sales of restored Leica cameras.
The next day, participating in LHSA's annual program, Dr. Kaufmann discussed many facets of Leica's present and near future. Teetering on cataclysmic financial disaster just months earlier in 2005, Leica turned around and posted a 36% sales increase in FY 2006 (ending March 31, 2007), and in the following quarter sold 55% over the previous year's level. Leica has installed new people in strategic positions and has begun an ambitious program to hire more skilled personnel to supplement the 420 people who currently work in Solms. The company has increased investment in research and development almost 23%, has purchased important new manufacturing machinery, and has engaged Porsche Consulting to help reorganize production procedures.
Though Dr. Kaufmann avoided particulars about products and projects under development, he offered myriad tantalizing hints. He revealed that the final design prototype for the forthcoming R10 digital SLR had been approved by Leica's board in September and that the camera is on schedule for its debut at Photokina 2008. Without disclosing specifics, he acknowledged that auto-focus was certainly on everyone's "wish list" for the R, and when asked if the R10 would be "full frame", his eyes twinkled and he asked in return "Why not more?". More than once it was made clear that Leica and Kodak, several of whose engineers also spoke to the LHSA members, are working closely on several fronts involving new advances in digital sensor design.
While acknowledging that the M system will remain the crown jewel of Leica's line, Dr. Kaufmann observed that it would always be a product for an elite few, requiring substantial investment and significant expertise, and Leica "must have products and customers elsewhere." To that end, Dr. Kaufmann said, Leica is working on what he called "Project X", a new camera aimed at the market "in between" the R and M systems on one hand and point-and-shoots on the other, and also slated for introduction at Photokina 2008.
Leica currently has 24 new lenses under development, Dr. Kaufmann says, most doubtless connected with some of the new projects. But he indicated that there would also be some new R lenses and "one or two" new M lenses in 2008. "What would a modern Noctilux look like?," he asked. When someone inquired if this meant that "the f.9 Noctilux rumors were true", he replied with a smile that "rumors are sometimes true!" Asked, finally, about a possible M9 in the future, Dr. Kaufmann again suggested "wish lists", including a full frame sensor and a solution to the IR sensitivity of the M8. While he did not even hint that these technologies were close at hand, some have suggested that it might be possible to embed tiny IR filters within the sensor, behind the microlenses focused on each pixel"
Patientons...
"At their meeting in Rochester, New York, October 11-14, members of the Leica Historical Society of America had the opportunity to hear, not once but twice, from Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, chairman of the board and principal shareholder in Leica AG.
At George Eastman House on Friday afternoon, October 12, Kaufmann received a Canadian-made Leica M4-2's to add to Leica's "Family Tree" in Germany from representatives of Elcan Technologies, formerly E. Leitz Canada. Had the team at Midland, Ontario, not taken over production of the M camera in the 'seventies, many doubt the Leica M marque would have survived. Kaufmann in turn presented Eastman House with a Leica M8 for its unequalled collection of photographic technology. He then discussed in some detail his plans to move Leica back to its historic home of Wetzlar.
Dr. Kaufmann proudly revealed that "Leitz Park", to be located at a new industrial site on the outskirts of Wetzlar, has already progressed through initial stages. Various government authorities have granted all necessary permits "in record time" and ground will be broken early in January for phase one, which will comprise buildings for Viaoptic and Weller, two small optical technology companies in Wetzlar recently acquired by the Kaufmann family holding company that also owns controlling interest in Leica. In August 2008, phase two will see the construction of a new, larger, state-of-the-art complex to house Leica itself. In May 2009, the final phase of development will include the development of a signature showcase, the Welt der Leica (the World of Leica), including a "Viseum"-Kaufmann's tag for a museum of the optical industry in Wetzlar-as well as photography exhibits, an expanded Leica Akademie, and Leica service facilities for visiting Leica photographers. Among other services, Kaufmann anticipates a restoration service and perhaps even sales of restored Leica cameras.
The next day, participating in LHSA's annual program, Dr. Kaufmann discussed many facets of Leica's present and near future. Teetering on cataclysmic financial disaster just months earlier in 2005, Leica turned around and posted a 36% sales increase in FY 2006 (ending March 31, 2007), and in the following quarter sold 55% over the previous year's level. Leica has installed new people in strategic positions and has begun an ambitious program to hire more skilled personnel to supplement the 420 people who currently work in Solms. The company has increased investment in research and development almost 23%, has purchased important new manufacturing machinery, and has engaged Porsche Consulting to help reorganize production procedures.
Though Dr. Kaufmann avoided particulars about products and projects under development, he offered myriad tantalizing hints. He revealed that the final design prototype for the forthcoming R10 digital SLR had been approved by Leica's board in September and that the camera is on schedule for its debut at Photokina 2008. Without disclosing specifics, he acknowledged that auto-focus was certainly on everyone's "wish list" for the R, and when asked if the R10 would be "full frame", his eyes twinkled and he asked in return "Why not more?". More than once it was made clear that Leica and Kodak, several of whose engineers also spoke to the LHSA members, are working closely on several fronts involving new advances in digital sensor design.
While acknowledging that the M system will remain the crown jewel of Leica's line, Dr. Kaufmann observed that it would always be a product for an elite few, requiring substantial investment and significant expertise, and Leica "must have products and customers elsewhere." To that end, Dr. Kaufmann said, Leica is working on what he called "Project X", a new camera aimed at the market "in between" the R and M systems on one hand and point-and-shoots on the other, and also slated for introduction at Photokina 2008.
Leica currently has 24 new lenses under development, Dr. Kaufmann says, most doubtless connected with some of the new projects. But he indicated that there would also be some new R lenses and "one or two" new M lenses in 2008. "What would a modern Noctilux look like?," he asked. When someone inquired if this meant that "the f.9 Noctilux rumors were true", he replied with a smile that "rumors are sometimes true!" Asked, finally, about a possible M9 in the future, Dr. Kaufmann again suggested "wish lists", including a full frame sensor and a solution to the IR sensitivity of the M8. While he did not even hint that these technologies were close at hand, some have suggested that it might be possible to embed tiny IR filters within the sensor, behind the microlenses focused on each pixel"
Patientons...