I think the way Leica handles the IR-problem is really bad. They tell their users to start eating pills instead of healing the disease. The first two pills is paid for by Leica.
In their press release (
http://www.leica-camera.us/news/news/1/3682.html ) Leica states that the problem is the thickness of the glass cover of the sensor, which also acts as an IR-filter.
And here is the real problem I think ... in order to correct the problem the sensor should probably be equipped with a thicker glass. At least some kind of redesign to the sensor seems to be needed. (If not - how come this isn't a problem for the competitors?) But doing so for the already delivered cameras would cost to much. Ok, so the next best thing would be to start equipping the new cameras with enhanced sensors. But this would of course mean that people who already bought the camera would wan't to be compensated in some way. And offering them this filter-fix, while the new cameras would have an enhanced sensor, wouldn't feel good for the early adopters no matter how much Leica ensured that it's "same same but different".
So ... probably better to market a band-aid solution today, and then quietly make the next release (M8 mark II?
![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
equipped with a better solution.
Note: I'm not a user of the camera - but I was a potential buyer. I don't know how many times this problem would potentially occur for MY kind of photography. But it shure has happened as we can see from many test images on the web. And what about the images that are just nearly free of the IR-problem? Well, if we miss to see it then there is no problem, or?
To me it's a matter of trusting the camera. I wouldn't want to use a camera in a way that I will have to check every file for odd colors. It takes away most of the fun from the process.
Leicas solution is to force their users to have an extra filter on the lens. I'm not saying their "fix" doesn't work for the IR-problem. Not at all - I think it will work perfectly! I just think it's a band-aid solution. Not a cure. And this makes me significantly less interested in the M8 which in it's market segment should be the superior product from a respected brand. This is not a solution where photographic freedom, creativity and technical image quality is top priority. $omething el$e $eem$ to be more intere$ting. A solution not worthy the Leica brand in my humble opinion.
Cheers,
Petter
PS. I hope I'm not offending anyone by being quite harsh in my comments on this, I'm just seriously striked by the Leica announcement. If this is the way to design a $4.800 camera, why haven't Canon/Nikon/... thought about it?