Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/16

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Subject: [Leica] Re: 24x36 CCD
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 09:45:39 -0700

At 07:14 AM 10/16/2001 -0400, Simon Stevens wrote:

>To sell to photographers currently invested in M cameras & lenses who
>would like to add a digital capability without buying an entirely new
>system. (Duh!)
>
>Simon


I guess you haven't read my dissertations, over the past three years, as to 
why this is a.) a very bad idea, and b.) isn't going to happen. A short 
summary follows.

Digital cameras are digital cameras, a completely different animal from 
film cameras. High resolution lenses, such as recent Leica M lenses, cannot 
be used successfully with a digital sensor. These lenses were designed for 
film. A digital camera is s-t-u-f-f-e-d full of electronics. Don't look for 
an M look alike to contain all of this.

As seen recently, Leica is partnering with a Japanese electronics company 
to produce digital cameras with "Leica/Japanese" lenses. These digital 
cameras will look like digital cameras. Digital features convenient for 
digital operation.

The Japanese digital camera companies have decades invested in digital 
electronics.

Leica has decades invested in film cameras.

Leica would not be so foolish as to decide to design and build a consumer 
digital camera built on a film camera foundation. This is way out of their 
league and completely impractical.

You will be able to buy Leica brand digital cameras. The lenses will be 
computed for use with a digital sensor. Basically dumbed down lenses. 
Necessary because the frequency cutoff of a digital sensor is much lower 
than film. To use a high res modern Leica lens on a digital sensor, one 
would need a resolution cutoff filter (these are built-in to the 
Nikon/Canon/Kodak/etc. cameras that use off the shelf 35/MF lenses.)

So, don't hold your breath for a consumer digital camera that will use your 
M or R lenses.

Jim

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Replies: Reply from Jim Brick <jim@brick.org> ([Leica] RE: Re: 24x36 CCD)
Reply from "Joe Codispoti" <joecodi@charter.net> (Re: [Leica] Re: 24x36 CCD)