Hi,
My guess is that:
1) The R series did not generate enough income to support development and manufacture
2) Leica didn't want to go into autofocus and they felt that AF was needed to keep R-series viable
The Leica M is somewhat of a legend and it is selling a lot on the basis of being a legend. Selling SLRs may be a different business.
Best regards
Erik
When I started my biz, my first few years were in Dallas,.
A famous fashion, beauty and celeb photographer from NY, (names held back to protect the innocent) rented our studio to shoot some celebs.
I was very young, and impressionable, never seen a photographer of this caliber work.
His assistants flew in ahead of him and pre lit the set.
There was this black Halliburton case that was always next to them, almost like it was being guarded.
The photographer came in the day of the shoot in a limo. That was back before the days that everyone took a limo.
He walked in, Dolly Parton was the subject, he quickly introduced himself and his assistants opened that black case which was full of Leica Rs. I don't know which ones, but it looked like that case in Pulp Fiction, when they opened it up it seemed to glow.
When they shot the first roll, the shutter button popped out. His assistants put another body on the tripod and it went down also.
The photographer look a little panicked and asked if he could borrow a camera. I brought over "my" beat up Halliburton, opened it up(it didn't glow). which was full of beat up Nikon FM's and Nikor lenses with the black wearing off. It looked nothing like his beautiful case and I'll admit I was a little embarrassed.
It was like pulling up to the valet at the Mondrian in a worn out Kia with a missing front fender.
Anyway, he used my FM's, got the shot and left 15 minutes later. (back in the days where one shot a day was considered normal).
After that I lusted for Leica R's and when I finally could afford them I'd go to buy and add up the cost of cameras and lenses, call rental houses in every market I worked and of course few if anyone rented them (outside of NY).
Then I just dropped the thought.
When leica came out with their digital module back, I was ready.
I ran over to Eli Kurland to see one, shot a few frames and realized with the crop, the fact it used old Imacon software it just wasn't that usable for me.
The files were beautiful and like most ccd's really were deep, but the crop factor in that somewhat small viewfinder just unraveled the deal.
Flash forward to today.
The S-2 is nice but nothing like the Rs. Why Leica didn't go to autofocus on the R's is beyond me, but I can understand why they didn't go the 35mm route for their dslr.
After all people's brains are caught up in buying megapixels, pros and amateurs. And cost is also a factor. The professional still camera of choice today seems to be a D800 or a 5d3.
I think those camera both work well, but look average, nothing special, surely not the pulp fiction glow, but that's the way it is today.
The S2 I would love to own one, but for real work, It's kind of old think, doesn't have it's own dedicated tethering suite, doesn't shoot any form of video, the lenses are really expensive. Beautiful single purpose camera.
I think now Leica lives off it's name and has that old world craftsman view of if we build something beautiful enough people will come, which I guess works, but most makers of anything first study a market and then build what the market wants or will at least will buy now.
I like the old think way, but need the new think way.
Imagine if Leica built the S2 that had all the functionality of the Panasonic GH3, great video, wi-fi tethering to ipads, internal i.s., different aspect ratios. Then I could justify it.
Actually funny thing is R lenses (not bodies) have dropped in price but are somewhat in demand for digital video cameras. Some people change mounts to PL or Nikon and they work well. They're not crunchy sharp but have beautiful fall off.
The only issue with R lenses is they are not the fastest, 2.8 usually the max and in the film world 1.2, 1.4 is fast 2.0 is kind of slow.
Still I would love a digital R, the prices are good now, the lenses semi cheap and I think you can buy the digital modules for 2 grand, but why?
Maybe for that pul[p fiction glow.