Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/12/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Bringing together a number of threads: Walt's minimal digital Leica, the LUG anti-chimping attitude, high M8 prices, and the multitude of old film Leicas. A current issue of an electronics trade publication mentioned that large area 8 Mb CCD sensor chips and associated circuitry were becoming commodity items and would be featured in next year's consumer digital cameras. The expected retail price point of the cameras would be around $200. The Apple web site featured a USB to iPod connector that would download images from a digital camera, storing the data on the iPod's 20 or 30 Gb disc and simultaneously displaying the image on the iPod's screen. Bringing all this together: With digital electronics getting cheaper and cheaper it is apparent that the main cost of a digital Leica is the mechanical components. Based on years of consulting to the optoelectronics industry, I estimate that the mechanical and optical components of the M8 account for more than 80% of the manufacturing cost. But all the old M Leicas already have the costly items. It may be time to dust off the idea of a digital add on for the older Leica cameras. If a digital sensor chip was fashioned to replace the film inspection port, and the electronics, battery and memory card were contained in a baseplate extension, older Leicas could be updated to the digital age without losing their film capability. Eight Mb is enough for quality work. Note that the concept does not include a viewing screen. No chimping allowed. Yet if the photographer wanted to chimp, the iPod download would let him/her do so at leisure. In addition the iPod would allow storage of a weeks shooting without changing memory cards and you could listen to music between exposures. The probable cost of such an add on would be less that $1000. I would certainly buy one at that price. It is obvious that Leica would never make such a device because it would cannibalize sales of the M8, but one of the Asian makers of digital cameras might jump into the market. After all, in the early days of the Leica, dozens of small companies made a reasonable income feeding off the body of the German giant. Leica is no giant any more but there are thousands of Leica owners out there who think that $5000 is too much for the opportunity of using their old lenses. Larry Z