[Leica] Digital cameras and Interchangable lenses?

[Skip Williams <skipwilliams@pobox.com>]

This message was posted over on the Olympus list as a result of one list 
member's conversations at PMA.  Does anyone have any comments on whether 
there is any truth to the statements below?  I for one, can't fathom that 
this is right.  It looks like so much marketing bullshit.  Does Nikon, 
Canon, Kodak, or Leica use any transfer lenses or trickery on their digital 
cameras that take "standard" interchangeable lenses?

Skip


>I spoke with several folks from Olympus America at PMA this past week.  In
>general they had this to say:---Some OM items are still in production and will
>continue to be so for the foreseeable future; NO digital  camera using OM
>lenses is planned (more on this later);  they are developing what they 
>feel are
>the best P&S  35mm and consumer digital cameras.
>
>The stated reason about NO OM Digital Camera is:  they feel the quality to be
>obtained from using interchangeable lenses NOT designed for digital is greatly
>inferior.  It has to do with how a CCD accepts light input, light rays 
>must ALL
>be parallel since the sensor is like little buckets ( U ).  Nikon and 
>Canon get
>around this by using an adapter plate to make the rays acceptable but 
>sharpness
>suffers at the edges, especially with larger chips.
>Also, interchangeable lenses have some play in the mount, and while some of
>this in acceptable and within tolerance for film, it is not for CCD's.


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Skip Williams
Westfield, NJ
skipwilliams@pobox.com
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