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

[firkin at ncable.net.au (Alastair Firkin)]

Thanks for the report, we are all jealous/green with envy ;-)

On 31/10/2005, at 7:49 PM, pmcc wrote:

> --- 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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>
Alastair