# LEICA i9 for iPhone4



## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

*Really neat LEICA / iPhone hybrid concept*. 



















"The Leica i9 Concept offers timeless design, durability and the unmatched brilliance of Leica's high performance camera system to compliment the unparalleled processing, display and sharing capabilities of Apple's iPhone4. With upgradeable software, partner plug-ins/apps, and the ability to take advantage of an ever-growing list of new iPhone features, the possibilities are limitless..."

Check it out...


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2011)

Hmm that's a pretty neat concept! Instead of spending big bucks for a retina display wanna be just add a dock and some software and use the real thing. My biggest concern about this being that a Leica is not a cheap camera and what happens when the iPhone changes form factor again. They had better build that into their plans


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

Well if you are willing to buy a new phone then you would be willing to pony up for a new camera.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2011)

Joker Eh said:


> Well if you are willing to buy a new phone then you would be willing to pony up for a new camera.


THere's a BIG difference here ... a Leica is not a pro-sumer Canon or Nikon, and certainly the phone is the lesser expense, even at full price and unlocked. 

A Leica M9 body sells for around $7,000 USD currently. That would make the phone upgrade a whole helluva lot more expensive!


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

It occurs to me that the old Leica rangefinder cameras had a couple of things going for them. Pretty much the only 35mm range finder with interchangeable lenses, great glass, super quiet and built to last forever. I know several Leica owners who were still using 30 and even 40 year old cameras.

In the digital era, every camera can be set to super quiet. Still one one of a kind but I do wonder how willing the average buyer will be to kick in the big bucks now that cameras are obsolete in a just few short years. 

That said if you were to give me a basic Leica you can bet I would be more than happy to have it.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Panasonic could certainly do it - their Leica equipped Lumix ( yes they are real Leica lenses ) point and shoot are excellent and cheap - picked mine up ( my second ) for $140








and as with most Pannie gear just about bullet proof.



> Call them refreshes, call them line extensions, or simply call them new, Panasonic announced six snapshot cameras Tuesday with a handful of unique features that'll hopefully have you running with your wallet out to buy one come April.
> Joining the two, Lumix FS-series and LS-series cameras announced earlier in January are the FX48 (12 megapixel; 5x 25mm wide-angle lens); the FX580 (12 megapixel; 5x 25mm wide-angle lens; touch screen); the FS25 (12 megapixel; ultracompact; 5x 29mm wide-angle lens); the ZS3 (10 megapixel; 12x 25mm wide-angle lens; AVCHD Lite 720p HD movie mode); the ZS1 (10 megapixel; 12x 25mm wide-angle lens); and the TS1 (12 megapixel; 4.6x 28mm wide-angle lens; AVCHD Lite 720p HD movie mode; shockproof/waterproof/dustproof).
> Features scattered about on the models include a new Face Recognition mode, which instead of just detecting faces can actually be programmed to remember individual faces and will adjust focus and exposure accordingly, 720p HD movie capture branded AVCHD Lite, dual-CPU image processing, and wider, longer lenses.
> 
> ...


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## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

mguertin said:


> Hmm that's a pretty neat concept! Instead of spending big bucks for a retina display wanna be just add a dock and some software and use the real thing. My biggest concern about this being that a Leica is not a cheap camera and what happens when the iPhone changes form factor again. They had better build that into their plans


from the link :



> The Camera back is also interchangeable to accomodate compatibility with future generation iPhones.


so they seem to have factored that into the design. i guess the real question is what the price would be, and if this would still fit in your pocket easily.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

I think they would need to have a way to use the camera (at least in a limited way) without the phone (ie. no lcd panel and stores directly to a memory card). If your phone is dead, or being used, it can't be used in the camera. Multi-function devices usually come with trade-offs and this will be a pricey package to have trade-offs.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

Interesting concept for those with deep pockets and who want to have the bling factor. For serious photographers there are cheaper and better ways to go. A camera like this is for bragging rights among your rich friends IMO.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Or you could look at it as a serious camera for the iPhone in a positive light


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## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

screature said:


> Interesting concept for those with deep pockets and who want to have the bling factor. For serious photographers there are cheaper and better ways to go. A camera like this is for bragging rights among your rich friends IMO.


i think it comes down to how much space you have in your pocket. most of us carry around a smart phone. i don't carry around a decent camera because i don't want yet *another* thing in my pocket.

if this thing can still fit in my pocket, gave quality results, and didn't cost a fortune i'd consider it.... (but i'm guessing it will be more expensive then a stand alone camera which will kill it's market)


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

i-rui said:


> i think it comes down to how much space you have in your pocket. most of us carry around a smart phone. i don't carry around a decent camera because i don't want yet *another* thing in my pocket.
> 
> if this thing can still fit in my pocket, gave quality results, and didn't cost a fortune i'd consider it.... (but i'm guessing it will be more expensive then a stand alone camera which will kill it's market)


fits in pocket - nope
doesn't cost a fortune - nope
gave good results - probably

why it won't likely make it to market.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

MacDoc said:


> Or you could look at it as a serious camera for the iPhone in a positive light


Leica in the digital realm is behind the curve on pretty much everything except their glass which you can get on the Lumix line. It is a status symbol, even with their film cameras, they were status symbols. If you have the cash then fine, but it doesn't make them a good buy. If you have an iPhone and want a serious camera there are better ways to spend that money IMO.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

Macified said:


> fits in pocket - nope
> doesn't cost a fortune - nope
> gave good results - probably
> 
> why it won't likely make it to market.


Exactly... in the link it shows the the projected price as $1200.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2011)

screature said:


> Leica in the digital realm is behind the curve on pretty much everything except their glass which you can get on the Lumix line. It is a status symbol, even with their film cameras, they were status symbols. If you have the cash then fine, but it doesn't make them a good buy. If you have an iPhone and want a serious camera there are better ways to spend that money IMO.


From what I've read people love the M9. I don't think they are so much behind the curve in that they are striving to stay on track with what Leica "does". I've played with an M8 personally and it was a pretty impressive camera. Pricing wise it's not that far off of other pro full frame cameras. It doesn't quite offer the same feature set but the image quality and build quality are amazing, and if you already have all the awesome Leica glass you're not going to find another smaller camera that's full frame and can still use your glass!

That said it's still outta my budget!

Leica M9 First Look


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

mguertin said:


> From what I've read people love the M9. I don't think they are so much behind the curve in that they are striving to stay on track with what Leica "does". I've played with an M8 personally and it was a pretty impressive camera. Pricing wise it's not that far off of other pro full frame cameras. It doesn't quite offer the same feature set but the image quality and build quality are amazing, and if you already have all the awesome Leica glass you're not going to find another smaller camera that's full frame and can still use your glass!
> 
> That said it's still outta my budget!
> 
> Leica M9 First Look


They may have begun to catch up technically, look at their reviews, sure they are "good" camera's but they never even come close to ranking among the best. But nonetheless they are behind the curve when it comes to value for dollar... most notably because they have never striven to be to be so. They are a status symbol product like a Porshe or Royals Royce. I think this is clearly undeniable.


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