Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/02/08

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Digital M - was Leica to Restructure, Cut Staff
From: Peter Klein <pklein@2alpha.net>
Date: Sun, 08 Feb 2004 20:09:13 -0800

My two cents:

A digital camera with an M range-viewfinder that will take my current M 
lenses?  Glory Hallelujah!  As others have mentioned, the viewfinder, 
rangefinder and lenses are my primary reasons for using Leica.

If they make a full-frame sensor with about 6 megapixels, that would be an 
improvement on the image quality of the Canon 10D, Nikon D100, etc.  Same 
number of pixels, but bigger pixels.  And all the current lenses would work 
the same.  Virtually noiseless ISO 400 and 800 equivalents.  1600 more like 
400 on film.  Nice.

What might be ideal is one of the new with a mix of small and large 
sensors. That gives a couple of stops more dynamic range, closer to 
negative film rather than slide film.  That's probably pie-in-the-sky, but 
I can dream. . .   :-)

Now here's a real crazy idea.  What about a black-and-white imager?  No 
color microfilters, no interpolation, none of this Bayer pattern 
stuff.  Less artifacting.  A pixel is a pixel is a pixel.  That could 
deliver even greater image quality than a color imager of the same 
size.  This probably wouldn't fly in today's market, but what a possibility!

Even if they use a sensor similar to the 10D, etc., it would be OK with 
me.  As John mentioned, all they have to do is put in a different set of 
frame lines, and all's well.  A 35mm lens would now be approximately a 50mm 
lens (assuming a 1.5x or 1.6x magnification factor).  These lenses, at f/2 
or 1.4, would certainly have a narrow enough depth of field for me.  So 
anyone with a 35/2 or 1.4 would be in great shape.

Similarly, a 24mm would become an almost-35mm, a 75 would become a 112mm, 
still usable as a portrait lens, and a 90 Cron-M or APO would be one 
incredible 135 equivalent.  Those of you with 15mm Heliars could use them 
as a 24.  And a 50 becomes a 75 or 80.

Would they be able to stuff all the electronics into an M-sized 
body?  Maybe.  But we might end up with a higher body, still M-shaped in 
the other dimensions.   Or something bigger, like an M5 on steroids.

We live in exciting times.  I hope Leica can make the transition 
successfully.  And I hope that they will treat the Digital M as a 
photographic tool, and price it halfway reasonably.  But price may be a big 
issue for many of us, if the price of the Digilux 2 is any indication.  If 
that's the case, I may have to wait and buy used.

All this also means that the M7 and MP are probably the last new 
film-camera models.  I suspect Leica will still make them and support the 
existing mechanical cameras for a long time, but the mechanical designers 
will be gone.  They will make the film cameras with far less combinations 
of body color and viewfinder size.  Eventually there may be only one film M 
model.  It might be the MP as a niche market, with the inevitable 
commemoratives. But it could also be an M7a, perhaps sharing the timing and 
meter electronics developed for the Digi-M.

We live in exciting times.  What's in *your* wallet?

- --Peter

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Replies: Reply from Feli di Giorgio <feli@creocollective.com> (Re: [Leica] Digital M - was Leica to Restructure, Cut Staff)
Reply from Rei Shinozuka <shino@panix.com> (Re: [Leica] Digital M - was Leica to Restructure, Cut Staff)
Reply from Rei Shinozuka <shino@panix.com> ([Leica] 1975, 1976, 1977)