Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/09/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]There is absolutely a market; I'd hazard a guess that at least 90 percent of current M owners would like to have a way to at least use their M lenses, if not their Ms with the lenses, to shoot digitally as well as with film. The question is whether it really is technologically feasible. Best B. D. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Grégoire Vandenschrick Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 4:02 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Re: Digital back for Leica M, sequel, precision and so on Thank you for the proposal. I currently have not enough technical details about microlens array, stuff like refraction index of the polymer, curve radius or the microlens, distance between microlens and photosite, added distance of the color bayer filter and so on, but when I have these, sure, you could draw this. ther is also the problem of the protective glass, and the correct situation of the sensitive layer of the CCD in the film plane. This is a tough one. and this one needs to understand and think about it thoroughly for the system to work. So, the idea is good, the thing, in my opinion, can work, without any doubt, but there are lots of technical details I have to think about before even draw something. I WILL talk with Leica Solms about this, even is I already had the incidence light answer, because I honestly think it is only an excuse. I explain: I think Leica is NOT dead in the photographic field, surely not, for proof, they currently devellop this digital back for Leica R. the R8 was a good sign, the R9 is another. But, for the ones of you, like me, that waited for the Motor Drive for the R8, this took too much time, and this is I think, maybe a sign of rather weak design and engineering team (think also about the contact problems between the body and the normal back (I used to put a film, close the back, advance two or three views, then, no info on the rear LCD, had to rewind the film, open, close, open close, then, suddenly, LCD awakes, ok, let's go, rearm two three times, never ever had this with my old Nikon F801-s, and I did not clean the contacts each time I opened it!) Leica is the best for optical design, no contest on that, but when electronic is involved, they are not the best outhere. So I think that Leica hesitate to begin to devellop things out of their field (digital back for R is devellopped in joint with Imacon, well known for their digital back for medium format). So when it comes to devellop a new type of CCD (with shifted microlens array), this is completely out of their capability, and this is logic, Leica is a society living on a small niche (very expensive body and lenses, so rather small amount of production, they have to be careful) and cannot afford for two or three years of investment and research only to sell too few pieces (what would be the market for a digital back for Leica M, I'm rather confident if this is well done, with a very high build standard, a high resolution, very fast and so on, THERE IS A MARKET, look at the discussions now!). others thoughts, again Best Greg - ----- Original Message ----- From: <Afterswift@aol.com> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 6:38 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Re: Digital back for Leica M, sequel, precision and so on > In a message dated 9/2/03 3:21:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time, > gregoire.vds@skynet.be writes: > > > I accept everything, and I understand it is maybe useless to talk > > about this > > to the Lug. I talked about this to leica, and I had some first > > reaction > like > > "Leica really wants to devellop this, but the tech currently is not able, > > the M system is not dead, Leica doesn't see any film supply problem > > in the > > future". Then I gave Leica my idea of the displaced microlens, and > > have no > > answer yet, it can come or not, I don't know. > -------------- > Grégoire, > > I would certainly make mechanical drawings of your idea and copyright them. > Then you would receive a better hearing. > > br > -- > To unsubscribe, see > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 20/08/2003 - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html