Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi everybody, I was thinking about the possibility to have a digital back for leica M. This could be very interesting, with maybe all the electronics put into a 24x36 cartridge, and linked through a special base plate. I discused it with a dealer in Brussel (Campion) and it seems that a full frame (24x36) ccd exists, but that it cannot be used in 24x36 because of an angle question (the light has to arrive at the ccd surface with a quite little angle). so it will only be used for middle format (4.5x6, 6x6) digital back. So, this problem seems to be a little bit the same as the light fall off in the squares of a ground glass (you know, in the corner of your old Rollei waist level finder). In such situation, the solution is simple, the light is "redirected" by a fresnel lens just after the ground glass (or just before??). Why couldn't this be done too for a ccd? Is the size of the fresnel/catadioptric facets too small to be produced with the current technologies? So, do we have to resign and never have for us a full frame digital ccd? Another thought: I was last days making a data base of all my negs, and, having some delay, some negs have no references. It's such a pain to record all this, and having to write every bit of info in the field, for each shot! not a work for me! As you know maybe, the Nikon F5 can not only store every info about each pictures it takes, but also print it on a frame when you rewind the neg. I was so thinking about a data back (I know, with a Leica M, even with the M7, you'll never have the diafragm value, neither the focus distance) that could print on a frame (on demand) the datas for all the pics, maybe just the time and date, some alphanumeric info you could enter for the neg (location name, lens used and so on). This would be beter than those ugly red marks on the right bottom corner of your pics. Maybe this could only be possible with the M7, but the M6 has sensors for speed, and if I remember (I will not take a pic of my office to confirm), the leds stop flashing when you fire, so, the M6 should be aware of the number of pics taken, or at least, this could triger the recording of the speed and time (set and given by the data back) Well, that's it, quite stupid maybe, or quite common, I don't know, but I would like to hear from you all if these backs would be useful, or not, or maybe some of you should be able to kill some of my dreams by ingeneering advice about these (just to know it's feasable or not is a thing!). Thank you Greg VDS Gregoire Vandenschrick Department of Geography Université catholique de Louvain 3, Place Pasteur B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium vandenschrick@geog.ucl.ac.be Tel.: ++32 (0)10 47 24 42 Fax.: ++32 (0)10 47 28 77 http://www.geo.ucl.ac.be - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html