[Leica] Leica D lens 4/3rds question.

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

In the older day we could have used half frame or Minox cameras to shoot
assignments which would result in 80 100 dot halftone screens and no one
would be the wiser in the end. We didn't'. It was rare to non existent.
Why? One reason is we'd have to hand in an 8x10 print for reproduction and
THAT would have to look good.
We don't do that now. They in effect work from the negative.
So people go "if the equipments of reproduction are such and such why do we
need such a big sensor?"
Greed.
Vanity.
Some day we're going to hang 11x14 or 11x17 or 17x22 prints on the wall.
And they're going to look like poo poo and we're going to regret that we
aimed so low. What's the big advantage to shooting a format with a camera no
smaller or handier?
Image stabilizing is not it if we want that we have lots of lenses to choose
from  in normal 35mm 1.5 crop systems.
Which are in effect half frame. Very close.
4/3's is half that.
So 4/3's is half half. I'd say that's biting off a little more than we need
bit off if they're not going to be a reason.

In the 90s I saw lots of overkill.
People using medium format to really knock their socks off.
They didn't need to. They did it anyway. It paid off in the end in all kinds
of ways.
Now its digital everybody's a photographer I see people cutting major
corners on their technique with nothing but glib reasons..
I think its a shame.
I think the time will be soon when we're wincing when we think of the size
of the sensor on the M8. As the one on the m9 will be twice the size. And
we'll be wanting to be using that or already will be.






Mark William Rabiner
markrabiner.com