Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/03

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Subject: [Leica] Leica modifying M-mount for digital M?
From: abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge)
Date: Sat Jun 3 10:50:00 2006
References: <6.2.5.6.2.20060603092236.02d84678@screengang.com>

Bar code? Now pull the other one! (imagining a little laser sensor
that scans the lens mount. Blinding nearby people, starting fires,
shooting down incoming ballistic missles, detonating IEDs)

There are things I don't know about the very wide lenses which use
external viewers for the frame lines - do they have cams also that
identify their focal length? Or are the lenses that have matching
frame lines the only ones?

It would SEEM to this casual observer that the probelm would happen
with lenses that are wider than 35mm. Or maybe 24mm.

I'm pondering what the camera would DO with this information once it
has it. Is it going to jack up the sensitivity of the sensors on the
periphery of the chip? Somehow adjust an optical property between the
back of the lens and the sensor (a neat but scary idea). Some bit of
software magic to do . . . what?

If I need to pay $125 for my four lenses I'm do it, be a bit grumpy.
I'll be MORE than grumpy if I can't then use them on my M6 again.

This is less than I paid for the adaptors to mount my R glass on my 1Ds Mk 
II.

Still, you wonder if Leica didn't NEED to make an optical change that
a bit of stand-off would give them? Pushing the lens a tad out would
give them that much room behind the works for some (add impressive
optical words here) good reason.

My $0.02

Adam

On 6/3/06, Didier Ludwig <rangefinder@screengang.com> wrote:
> I have just read in another list, from a quite reliable source not
> completely unknown on the LUG, that Leica plans to modify the M-mount
> for the digital M:
>
> >The Leica M digital will have a modified M-mount
> >with a bar code which tells the camera the focal length.
> >The correct frameline will then be electronically changed.
> >While Leica will sell kits at about $125 each to update Leica
> >M lenses to the M digital it remains to be seen if those kits can
> >be used on non Leica made lenses.
>
> My personal comment: The only reason to buy such a (anyway
> overpriced) camera is when one has a closet full of M and LTM lenses.
> If one needs to "upgrade" every lens for $125 to make it functional
> on the digital M (and maybe even non-functional on the film bodies),
> he might as well change the system. Leica - one step forward, two
> steps backwards.
>
> Didier
>
> ps: the R-D1 is getting more and more interesting for me - it takes
> M-mount lenses!
> ;-)
>
>
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> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

Replies: Reply from douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp) ([Leica] Leica modifying M-mount for digital M?)
Reply from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Leica modifying M-mount for digital M?)
In reply to: Message from rangefinder at screengang.com (Didier Ludwig) ([Leica] Leica modifying M-mount for digital M?)