[Leica] First Crush; also: BALUG; Digital M futures

[pmcc_2000 at yahoo.com (pmcc)]

--- Brian Reid <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> wrote:

> I met up with 2 or 3 dozen LUGgers at the First
> Crush restaaurant last night.

Among them was yours truly.  A boisterously good 
time was had by all, thanks in no small part 
to the efforts of Greg Lorenzo who deftly 
orchestrated the event with courtesy and bonhomie.

The event also marked the reunion of the Bay Area
LUG, with ur-members Mark Cohen, John Gong, George
Hartzell, Ken Iisaka, Byron Ratkitzis, Tom Schofield
and your correspondent in attendance, joined by new
BALUG inductee Wayne Serrano.  Our group photo was
taken by Slobodan Dimitrov, who joins John Sexton on
the elite roster of photographers who have rendered 
the official BALUG portrait.
 
> I let Seth talk me into attending the LHSA lunch
> today, which as I think about it means I'm going to
> be joining the LHSA. I guess they tolerate saloon
> keepers in their membership...

The Screwmount Summit was a historic moment in the
annals of LUG/LHSA diplomacy. Brian and Seth have 
been jointly nominated for the Barnack Peace Prize.  
No longer will the average age of LHSA members be 
the subject of derision on the LUG, and no longer 
will LUGgers be summarily dismissed as a gang of
contentious geeks off their meds by LHSA members 
of long sitting.

A few interesting statements about the Digital M
surfaced at the LHSA meeting, in response to
questions from the floor addressed to Stefan Daniel
of Leica Camera AG.  In no particular order, my best
recollection is as follows:

- Digital M will preserve continuity of look 
  and form factor with existing M cameras
     
- optical rangefinder

- modified R9 type shutter (auf Wiedersehen to
  horizontal travel cloth shutter)

- 1.33 crop factor, not full frame (do the math
  to calculate effective focal lengths for 35mm
  lenses)

- 10.5 megapixel sensor

- 2.5" playback only screen

- 1/8000 top shutter speed

- lithium ion battery

- SD memory card

- self-timer

- auto-shutter cocking

- USB 2.0 connector, no video out

- supports RAW

- black and white mode in JPEG

- 5 or 6 sets of framelines (TBA)

- VF magnification TBA

- shutter lag goal under 20 milliseconds

- upgradable digital componentry under consideration
  but not promised

- digital sensor partner is German (not Imacon)

- camera to be made in Germany

- price goal under US$5K

- targeted to ship at Photokina 2006

- expect compatibility with 95-97% of existing
  Leica lenses

- expect new Leica M lenses in the ultra-wide
  range, which are also to be compatible with 
  existing M cameras (philosophy is against
  digital-only lenses)

- compatibility with wide-angle M lenses to be
  achieved as follows: incorporate new micro-lens
  offset technology in front of sensor; micro-lens
  design to be ultra-flat; replacement of pre-sensor
  anti-aliasing filter with software solution;
  infra-red cut-off filter to be incorporated into 
  sensor cover glass, to be made of scratch-
  resistant material; separate cover glass thus
  eliminated

Can't guarantee the total accuracy of the above,
but it's to the best of my understanding of what
was said.

PMCC.
SF, CA





                
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