[Leica] Digital "SLR"

[Frank Dernie <Frank.Dernie@btinternet.com>]

There are "reflex" cameras using an electronic viewfinder in place of 
the mirror and ground glass. They are useless for manual focus 
(obviously) but not too bad for normal use, though I wouldn't use one 
again. A digital SLR has all the benefits and disadvantages of  
traditional SLRs and is better for all the purposes I have used for the 
last  couple of years.
I hypothesised about the suitability of adapting an M body for digital 
use because of its removeable door and superb lenses but was told that 
the lenses are unsuited to use on digital sensors because of incidence 
angles at the sensor being higher in these types of lenses. This seemed 
plausible at first (see the Olympus bumf) but, on reflection, I am no 
longer convinced. However the optics are arranged the light will have 
to be focussed on the sensor plane. Rays from the periphery of the lens 
on one side will always therefore have to have a considerable incidence 
to the diametrically opposed edge of the sensor. M lenses may be 
slightly worse than reflex lenses (and fast lenses probably more so) 
but if the EOS 1Ds can produce good images from a 24mm f1.4 why 
couldn't an M with a 24mm f2.8?
cheers
Frank
ps anyway Leica have already thrown their digital hat into the R ring 
so that is probably that anyway.

> LRZeitlin replied
> Phong wrote:
>
> <<Perhaps I miss your point.
>
> I thought by definition, SLR implies a mirror reflex
>
> viewing system, so by definition the view is the light
>
> path thru the lens, reflected by the mirror thru the
>
> prism then out the viewfinder window.  How does the
>
> TFT display gets its image from ?>>
>
> Of course that's what a SLR is. No argument. But the purpose of the 
> reflex
> design is simply to show you what the lens is looking at before you 
> take the
> picture. With digital technology there is no need to have a flipping 
> mirror. The
> TFT display gets its image from the digital sensor. The picture is 
> only taken
> when the image is written to the memory card.
>
> We are overlooking the obvious. Most professional digital SLRs are 
> basically
> a standard film SLR body to which digital electronics have been 
> attached. This
> is the situation with the Nikons, the Canons, and the Leica. And of 
> course
> the basic attraction to professionals is that their inventory of film 
> SLR lenses
> can be used on the new bodies to make the transition less economically
> painful. What I'm waiting for is a digital back that can be attach to 
> my M Leicas.
> Let's see, if we replace the inspection flap with a digital sensor and 
> hide the
> batteries in the film chambers and  put the electronics in an expanded 
> bottom
> plate ----- ;-)
>
> Larry Z

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