Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/11

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Digital cameras and Interchangable lenses?
From: Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 18:18:42 -0800

No complaints from me, Henning...  :-)

Jim


At 02:23 PM 2/11/00 -0800, Henning J. Wulff wrote:
>>
>>None of the current 35mm-bodied digitals (such as the D1) use corrective
>>elements. Nikon did make such a camera, but it wasn't so hot. The frame
>>size is effectively a crop from the center of the 35mm frame. So
>>effective focal length is changed (something like x1.5 for the current
>>generation). The D1 viewfinder just shows this smaller area.
>>
>>I've no idea whether film lenses aren't suitable for CCDs (but I'm a bit
>>of a skeptic) but the D1 gives pretty nice images. A CCD with the same
>>pixel density and 35mm size would be very welcome (especially in an
>>M6!).
>
>Lenses for high performance digital cameras _NEED_ chromatically highly
>corrected lenses. The problem is one of color fringing. On analog material
>(film) the color fringing spreads softly from the principal element. With a
>digital sensor, the one color can be on one pixel, and another color on a
>different pixel. Truly ugly. Therefore the high end digital cameras, such
>as those from Sinar, use APO lenses even for relatively short focal
>lengths, and are horrendously expensive. A strange thing to say on a Leica
>list, but true. Another thing to remember is that today's high end
>camera/sensor array will be tomorrow's point and shoot. Lens design will
>have to hit new heights, at affordable prices. Some of Leica's recent
>lenses will be fine with tomorrow's sensors, but not many of the older ones.
>
>The Nikon D1 is quite decent, and the new Fuji Pro camera seems like it
>will be even better (as far as picture quality/price is concerned). As
>these cameras generally have a sensor size which is equivalent to 1/2 frame
>or so, they only use the center of the lens' imaging ability, which is
>usually better. As the sensors reach into the corners, and the pixel
>density goes up, more problems will crop up.
>
>Jim Brick is the guy on the list who would probably know this stuff the
>best (but I, of course, don't hesitate to jump in even at the partial
>information level ;-))
>
>
>
>   *            Henning J. Wulff
>  /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
> /###\   mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
> |[ ]|     http://www.archiphoto.com