Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/06/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Adam, > On 2003-06-25 darkroom@ix.netcom.com (Austin Franklin) > thoughtfully wrote: I'd like to think of it that way ;-) > >I don't believe there will every be a full frame "back" for the > R8/9. There > >are physical limitations that make this not possible. > > > > Could you explain for us what those are Austin? Does it have to > do with the > actual dimensions of the chip and its support circuitry? The physical sensor is one issue, and it has to fit at A particular spot...AT the film plane. Not before, not after... The sensors have a lot in front of and around them, Bayer pattern color filters, anti-aliasing filters and an IR filter. This adds depth/thickness/width/height needed in front of and around the sensor...and therefore the film gate has to be deep enough, and wide/tall enough to support all this. The reason a reduced size sensor works is it fits IN the film gate. A full frame sensor would most likely not. I think there is money to be made by a savvy sensor manufacturer who makes a sensor that maximizes the available area within the film gate...but they all seem to fall "short". The sensor used in the R digital back is basically a half frame sensor! It's only 17.6mm x 26.4mm...I believe. It's 456 sq mm, and 35mm film provides 864 sq mm. Regards, Austin - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html