Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/01

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Subject: RE: [Leica] The real information about a Digital M camera
From: "Austin Franklin" <darkroom@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 10:01:08 -0400

B.D.,

> And why can't the sensor be set far enough back from the rear of
> the lens to
> eliminate this problem?

Plane of focus....the distance from the lense to the sensor has to be
maintained.  But they could possibly move the shutter forward.

> And if the problem with having the sensor in the
> normal position is that there is degradation of the image at the edges,
> doesn't this simply require the same kind of focal length
> multiplication we
> see with most digital SLRs? i.e., a 35 1.4 Summliux would be, say, a 52.5
> 1.4 lens using the more central area of the 35 mm lens.

Not really.  That is a different issue, and applies for smaller sensors.
You *really* want to use a full frame sensor...but, as stated, when used
with a full frame digital sensor, the light rays, for even normal lenses,
just like with real wide angle lenses, cause "vignetting".

> I acknowledge that my knowledge of optics and optical issues is
> more than a
> little limited. But I wonder if what is really at issue here is the Leica
> engineers believing that to produce a digital M they MUST produce a camera
> that fully utilizes the entire area of the current lenses...this may
> definitely be a time and issue for compromise, in order to get a digital M
> going before many M users stick their M equipment in the closet and go to
> digital equipment produced by other manufacturers.

IMO, it's not worth it if you can't make it full frame.  They'd be better
off doing something with the R "body".

Austin

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