Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm an amateur but I'm mightily impressed by my new Digilux 1. And I can understand why pros are going for it. At my newspaper as recently as just over a year ago, several of the photogaphers used M6s; then the paper closed its darkroom and went digital and now those photographers use the Nikon D camera. To my way of thinking, this should be a loud message to Leica, the future is digital and there should be a digital M camera. I'm no electronics expert by any means and I don't know if the technology is far enough advanced to cram the needed electronics into the current M body (I gather 6 mp is the standard for pros now). But the technology is growing by leaps and bounds, and a digital M shouldn't be that far away. The Digilux is my first experience with a digital camera and I find myself worrying alot about battery drain. So my suggestion for Leica would be to use dials rather than that electronic displays whenever possible. They could make the monitor a plug-in attachment (with its own battery) that could fit into the camera's hot shoe. With the wonderful M viewfinder, you need the monitor mainly to check on your exposure occasionally and cull bad shots to extend your shooting capacity. By having it fit into the hotshoe, the monitor would be available for those rare times when you need it for composition or focusing; otherwise it is in your pocket or gadget bag, keeping the body of the M8 or MD or whatever the digital M might be called the same compact M size. An attachment like the current winder could be provided to provide the extra battery and electronic power needed for motorized-type shooting. I'm really enthusiastic about my Digilux but it's viewfinder is one of those zooming varieties and far from the clean, clear, distortion-free M viewfinder. Also, exposure information like f stop and shutter speed are absent and must be viewed on the monitor, meaning battery use. If you opt for manual exposure, you have to turn on the monitor for that as well. It's great little camera, but I'm eager for the day when we have a digital M. I'm guessing that the move to digital may be as significant to 35mm photography as the SLR revolution of the early 1960s; we know Leitz got off to a far too slow start then; let's hope that Leica moves much faster now, for the sake of the M camera and those of us who love it. Steve - ---------------> >Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 11:15:05 -0400 >From: "Albert Wang" <leica_phile@hotmail.com> >Subject: [Leica] Digilux use by professionals... >Message-ID: <F155ZaQ7XIA9vkJbTtv00005a1d@hotmail.com> >References: > >Hi Leica folks, > >Apparently the marketing of the Digilux as a digital reportage tool isn't >just geared to the prosumer market. I was chatting a short while with R. >Osterling of Kbcamera and he told me that the Digilux was sold out very >often. Apparently a lot of professionals are using for their client's work >and not as a backup body. He gave an example of a dude who was using the >Digilux 1 in conjunction with the Televid adapter to shoot airplane shows. >Okay it seems like that the Leica R8 isn't the only thing capturing flying >images here. > >I know that the Digilux has been getting a ton of flak lately but at least >it is selling more than that version which the Fuji/Leica had a few years >back. The collaboration with Panasonic is just the beginning of a long >partnership I think. > >I think that the Digilux has been a winner in terms of nearly no shutter lag >and 4.0 MP quality. That's good enough for 16 by 20 inch prints in general >(maybe with fractal improvements?). I will admit that I'm just surprised >that the Digilux has been flying off the shelves with professionals and not >just amateurs. > >Any else who is pro apart from Tina Manley who is shooting with the Digilux >1 here? :) It would interesting to see how it's faring in the real photo >world out there. > >Albert "Alfie" Wang >Freelance Street/Documentary Photographer >1122 Brill St. >Philadelphia PA 19124 >leica_phile@hotmail.com >(215) 668-1809 > > > __________________________________________________________________ Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop@Netscape! http://shopnow.netscape.com/ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com/ - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html