[Leica] RE: Leica modifying M-mount for digital M? - Speculation

[hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (G Hopkinson)]

That looks to be well reasoned speculation, Don. Do you have a (Leitz glass)
crystal ball? ;-)
Quite a bit on this in the Leica site forums as folks would know
Some quite detailed attributed to a French web site.

An optical system (rather than electrical contacts), might be a clever
answer, ensuring that the holy M mount is unsullied. Remember the Nikon AI
conversions? I read that the optical system could be in the form of up to 8
dots, Again guessing that a barcode would be very fine and perhaps subject
to wear/error? Just my speculation.

For me the issue is that I'm using an M in preference to a DSLR for all the
reasons that M's have remained a considered choice for so very long. And
that's nothing at all against the DSLRs, just that Ms are different.
As long as I can obtain the right film and B/W chemicals, I've got no urge
or need to change. Obviously for many others the equation is different.

I sure hope Leica do produce a successful digital M, if it means the company
survives. Inevitably I will need one if and when all reasonable means of
obtaining film have dried up.

It's happening very fast right here.
1.8 million people in this (state capital) city. I found 4 rolls of
Fujichrome Astia 35mm this week. That's total stock from four major dealers.
(4,0,0,0)I also managed to obtain 50% of the Velvia and Provia assets (about
ten rolls of each)
Waited for a week and two phonecalls to the distributor, just for fixer.
That's after no stock of any kind at the biggest dealer for three months.



Hoppy
Dam the digital tsunami 

------------------------------

Message: 21
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 08:12:49 -0400
From: "Don Dory" <don.dory@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica modifying M-mount for digital M?
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Message-ID:
        <9b678e0606030512j37248d63i7d0ccbeaa0277b2b@mail.gmail.com>
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Didier,
That rumor has been circulating for a while.  I believe that there is some
truth to the use of information to tell the camera about the lens, I also
believe that the camera will use normal M mount lenses.  I would expect some
loss of quality especially with wider angle lense and especially as regards
corner performance.  This is speculation on my part, but the concept of
using microlenses on the chip to correct for wide angle vignetting just
doesn't hold up for all the lenses made.  What will hold up is mapping a
lens and then adjusting the output of the sensor based on that information.

For all that Leica does and doesn't do, abandoning eighty years of product
doesn't sound like the company we all love to bash.  In other words, you are
exactly correct, the only reason to own a dM is because of all the lenses
that will work on it that are presently owned.  Well, there is another
reason, some us just prefer rangefinders for some work.

There is the possibility that the ZI product will also introduce a digital
variant that uses M mount lenses.

We will know far more in late September.

Don
don.dory@gmail.com


On 6/3/06, Didier Ludwig <rangefinder@screengang.com> wrote:
>
> I have just read in another list, from a quite reliable source not
> completely unknown on the LUG, that Leica plans to modify the M-mount
> for the digital M:
>
> >The Leica M digital will have a modified M-mount
> >with a bar code which tells the camera the focal length.
> >The correct frameline will then be electronically changed.
> >While Leica will sell kits at about $125 each to update Leica
> >M lenses to the M digital it remains to be seen if those kits can
> >be used on non Leica made lenses.
>
> My personal comment: The only reason to buy such a (anyway
> overpriced) camera is when one has a closet full of M and LTM lenses.
> If one needs to "upgrade" every lens for $125 to make it functional
> on the digital M (and maybe even non-functional on the film bodies),
> he might as well change the system. Leica - one step forward, two
> steps backwards.
>
> Didier
>
> ps: the R-D1 is getting more and more interesting for me - it takes
> M-mount lenses!
> ;-)