[Leica] Digital M - not

[LRZeitlin@aol.com]

JB writes:

<<What I'm saying is that there is no room in, on, or around an M camera for 

the massive amount of electronics that is necessary, including media of 

some sort, to support a digital sensor. The back bump would be so big, you 

couldn't get your eye up to the viewfinder. And you have to synchronize the 

digital back with the mechanical part of the camera. >>

JB,

Give Leica engineers credit for some imagination. I agree that it would be 
absurd to mount all the digital electronics in a blob at the back of the camera. 
Almost as absurd as putting the sync contacts in your eyeball as on my M3 
(I'm a left eyed shooter) or keeping needle threading loading through a bottom 
slot for 77 years. The only alteration to the mechanics of the M that need be 
made for digital use is the substitution of a sensor for the inspection back 
flap. All of the electronics could be contained in a base plate attachment, a la 
motor winder. By actual measurement, all of the electronics necessary for 
photography in my Digiflex camera works out to about 3 cubic inches. This includes 
the CPU, the battery, and the memory card. The lens focusing mechanism and 
the various motors would not be required for a digital M. This would require a 
base plate extension of only about 1/2 inch deep. Synchronization with the 
mechanical functions is already built in via the sync contacts. The camera could 
be restored to conventional use by switching back flaps and base plates.

Most of us M users that desire a digital facility don't want the bells and 
whistles, multiple modes or movie and sound recording capabilites that clutter 
up conventional digital cameras. All we want is a film substitute that will let 
us use our cameras as we have done for lo these many years. But with the 
capability of immediately accessing our results and loading into our computers 
without requiring us to scan negatives.

What the hell, I've got a couple of user Leicas and old digitals. I might 
even try to cobble up a digital Leica myself just to prove it can be done.

Larry Z 

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