[Leica] Digital Module R

[alex at hellofan.com (Alex Fan)]

I have been using R-lens on a Canon 10D in the past 9 months. I found the
color rendition and image quality is much better then the Canon L lens.
However there are also issues to overcome.

1. The 1.6 crop factor of the 10D or 20D is a headache for those who like
to use wide angle,  a 19mm lens will become 30mm in 10D which is not
desirable for wide angles lover.  Full frame or 1.3 crop factor is more
attractive

2. Focusing is a problem; it is difficult to focus on the tiny focusing
screen especial for wide angles even at aperture of 2.8.  The chance of
getting accurated focusing is not high.  There is no split circle focus
screen for 10D or 20D.  Though I eventually modified a split-circle
focusing screen for my 10D, it is still not 100% accurate as the thickness
of the screen is different from the original one.

3. The metering and AE mode works fine though it will overexpose at small
aperture (11 or smaller) and sometime fluctuating, but it is relatively
easy to bear with.  The stepping down of aperture after metering will be
an issue if speed is required.

I think 10D and 20D might not be a good alternative for the Digital R back
for those who can afford the digital back.  1D MKII or 1Ds seems to be a
better choice.

Alex