[Leica] Best flash for M8?

[red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone)]

Doug.. 

The way the sensor works is to open up ALL the (electronic) gates of the 
array at the same time, and to keep those gates open until
the "close" signal is given.  During that period, the light is collected or 
integrated into a charge that is then measured as the
light hitting the array.  The important issue is that all the array cells 
are opened at the same time and closed at the same time.
This is not a sequential act that would allow a slit shutter to operate if 
the slit would cover the sensor area in a time slower
than the gates are open.

I have agreed that in the case of the multiple flash mode on the R8/9 or M8, 
a slit shutter is used as you state... the integration
time is opened up to a longer period, then the slit shutter is set to 1/8000 
of a second and the flash fires multiple times so that
the entire sensor area is covered evenly with the flashed light as the slit 
moves.

In the case that Leica has made the gated function of the sensor NOT the 
main timing ingredient, and uses the regular and slit
shutter to time the exposure, I have already made the argument that the 
shutter would need to be of very high quality, timed,
accurate, etc.  The R8 shutter is most likely like this.  But when 
electronic gating is available, and there is no need for
mechanical shutter accuracy ( as required in a  film/digital hybrid like the 
R8/9 with the DMR)  it would be a waste of money and a
accuracy down play to have the mechanical slit control the timing when it is 
inherently available in the digital domain for less
than pennies with increased accuracy.  Could it be done?  Sure.  Would any 
rational engineer or manufacturing guy do it without some
really good reason that he would have to defend to the top levels of 
management?  Not and keep his job .  Therefore my
conclusion.... it is done digitally and the slit shutter is relegated to the 
special flash situation.

Am I right?  Obviously, I think so.  But unless I had access to the design 
team at Solms, and further understood why they might do
something that is pretty expensive and not required for more than 1 mode ( 
and a pretty obscure one at that) , I'll stand my ground.
I have heard no argument that convinces me otherwise.

OTOH, if I am wrong, ( which I have said is possible since I am deducing 
this from available application information and not inside
hard data information about the M8 from the design team) and the digital  
sensor timing of the M8 is not used to time exposures, but
the mechanical shutter is used, this is very bad for Leica.  Their solution 
is way too expensive from a manufacturing point of view;
they have a not-required  redundant system of precision mechanics and 
electronics; customers will have cameras going out of
mechanical timing calibration; and you have a very scary scenario for Leica 
in general: Pissed off customers.

Let's hope I am right.

Frank Filippone
red735i@earthlink.net