[Leica] digital M and backward copatibility of old lenses

[bill at grimwood.net (Bill Grimwood)]

Your answere was brilliant.

Bill Grimwood


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Dory" <dorysrus@mindspring.com>
To: <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 7:24 AM
Subject: [Leica] digital M and backward copatibility of old lenses


> Gang,
> Perchance Leica will in fact bring out a new lens mount that allow EXIF
> data and other possibilities. Create an adapter to allow the use of
> older lenses just as the M can use LTM lenses.  Provide a wider throat
> and 1mm less back focus and Bob's your uncle.
> 
> As to Leica becoming extinct, maybe it will, probably it will not.  The
> digital field is wide open currently as to design, user interface, and
> ergonomics.  In many respects photography is in the same position as it
> was in 1950.  New technology was allowing the creation of many different
> camera designs: from the Kodak Ektra to the Argus C3.  In the
> rangefinder realm you had the Contax arise from the ashes of Dresden in
> eastern and western incarnations, Leica invented the M3, Nikon brought
> out the S2, Reid imitated a III, Perriflex went its unique way, Alpa
> tried to be everything to everybody with a rangefinder and a reflex
> viewing system.
> 
> All of this experimenting was stopped cold by a little introduction in
> 1959 simply called the F.  Some of the dead lived on until 1972 or so
> but that one camera defined what a 35mm camera should be.
> 
> In digital today we find a situation much like the above.  Canon, Nikon,
> Pentax and probably Minolta are continuing the 35mm SLR form into the
> digital age.  Olympus is trying to push the ZLR concept to some success.
> Fuji is testing the waters with all in one camera's like the 7000 as a
> professional machine: do we really need interchangeable lenses if the
> basic range is covered?  Electronic viewfinders are evolving quickly and
> may ultimately make more sense as pixel pitch shrinks.  Sony's 828 is a
> very interesting design that with tweaks to the lens and the imaging
> chain might become a stunning performer.
> 
> Then we have camera phones.  For casual snaps and sharing these things
> are indescribably wonderful.  To badly paraphrase: I see, I clicked, I
> sent all in about three seconds.  If the 3MP phones ever come to
> fruition, they may make the ultimate street shooters camera.
> 
> Getting back to the point, if Leica can come up with an M like machine
> that allows fluid imagine, see, shoot image creation then they might win
> back market share.   If the image quality was good, how about a Leica
> camera phone, perhaps a lizard skinned Hermes edition?
> 
> The imaging field is very fluid right now.  We will not know how it will
> settle out until the widget that works for most is introduced. Probably
> not until four or five years after that will the dust have settled and
> most will acclaim the new king.
> 
> Don
> doryrsus@mindspring.com
> 
> 
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