I just ran the basic math for a pro photographer, and this is my package, in order to responsibly walk into a basic job:
Two of the cheapo version bodies; basic warranty; no handgrip; three cheapo version lenses: $65,300.00.
("But oh wait, I could LEASE them, right? So that makes them free, right? Wonder what's the Monthly Lease Payment on $65,300.00...? I'm sure someone here could tell us.")
And they promise the camera in September, but then the truth comes out, that other necessary items are not til January 2010? (Did anybody read "The Boy That Cried Wolf"..?)
Your not that guy.
Your not Leica's target market.
Your a refurbished p45+ on a used H2 guy so you can get something from rental if you have to, process in software that works (most of the time), tethering that works (most of the time) and a price that is not retail (all of the time).
Your a gotta have a backup up camera type of guy, gotta get stuff out overnight type of guy and gotta make a profit from what you buy, so no you are not the intended market.
Because if Lecia was going to target you or any professional, even at these lottery winner prices they would have all the lenses ready NOW, a real tethering solution, live view, and a written in blood pledge to put these cameras in every major rental house in every major market.
I'm sure there we be some well known by name pros that are featured using a Leica, probably one of the Greenfields (I think there is three of them right?) and they will be videotaped using a Leica shooting a sad looking little 17 year old on white no seam, or a b celebrity and they'll say something like, "the lenses are so sharp and the handling of the camera is so elegant, it is an organic extension of my wonderful and creative thought process", but no you are not the Leica type of guy.
The thing is I do know that guy that would/could buy this camera and he won't. He's rich, a celeb, love cameras, owns every leica M lens ever made and could buy this camera in a heart beat, but he doesn't see the point, because even with all his Leica's he shoots mostly with a Canon 5d or a Nikon because the images are in focus and since he travels the world nobody is going to lift a cheap 5d out of his suitcase.
But I do predict they will sell this camera and I even believe the price point will help. Had they sold it for $10,000 then it's just a few steps ahead of the Nikon, which holds no cache when you go to the country club and somebody asks how much, you can't just say 10 large, cause at Westchester, 10 large is only the mandatory valet fees. Saying 50,000 dead prezs gets some attention, even in the land of AIG bonuses.
They are also smart for not adding live-view, or video, cause then maybe a real working professional might buy it and real working professionals are a pain in the ass because they expect things to really work.
It even works for Leica that the Phase One/Leaf/Mamiya faithful will start screaming, "see, see, my peefourtysomething plus with sensor double plus technology, has more resolution and only costs 1/2 of the Leica, cause the Mamiya is like driving a Ford Taurus and well we all know where the valet's park Fords at Westchester.