[Leica] English translation of Nathan's Leica german letter

["Mitch Zeissler" <zeissler@directvinternet.com>]

All...

Here is the Babel Fish translation of Nathan's letter.

Regards,

/Mitch
_____________________________________
Mitch Zeissler
   E-mail: zeissler@directvinternet.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hello, 

I presuppose once that answers of the Leica are AG also for the peep de of
interest. Therefore I take the liberty to give these here again. 

On my request, how now the technical connections are to be seen for the use of
the Leica objectives by means of foreign adapters at digital housing (Canon D60
e.g.), I received the following 

Anwort: 
At the beginning of quotation: 

Dear Mr. Bindels, Zuallererst agree we you that digital M or R would make a
camera sense, because you (the customer) could use your present objectives for
the new system. On the other hand we (the manufacturer) could sell the new
product to a group of consumers already existing. For these reasons this idea was
examined intensively with Leica. Unfortunately we came to the result that a
digital m-camera with the present conditions of the CCD or CMOS technology is not
possible. For this some notes: 

A large advantage of the m-camera-system consists of the fact that the objectives
possess a short cut width (no mirror between film/catch and the Hinterlinse).
That makes the objectives very compact and bright. Due to these characteristics
the rays of light meet the film in a flat angle. 

Mirror reflex objectives possess a larger cut width (larger distance between the
rear lens and the film/catch to accommodate around the mirror). The rays of light
meet therefore in a rectangular or nearly rectangular (telecentric) angle the
film. 

If a film is exposed, the cut width is insignificant for the achievement. If a
digital sensor is used instead of a film, there are one large-differentiated: 

1. In order to protect the sensor, a protecting glass and a filter (anti
aliasing, IR) before the sensor are arranged. These filters and protecting
glasses would cause an additional and unwanted refraction, if the rays of light
on the sensor in a not-rectangular angle fall. The optical achievement becomes so
bad to the edge that the pictures would become useless. 

2. In order to increase the luminous sensivity of the sensor, micro lenses are
arranged, in order to collect more lights before the individual pixels. This
causes vignettierung with objectives with short cut width (m-objectives) (darken
corners). 

This are the main effects, which show that the whole system would bring only an
unsatisfactory achievement. For these and other reasons we had to give this idea
up at the current time. As soon as a new sensor technology is present, Leica will
continue the efforts around a digital m-camera. 

The above-mentioned problems arise with SLR objectives less. The distance between
film/catch and rear lens must be larger because of the mirror, which are rays of
light nearly telecentrically and can therefore for digital applications are used.
Possibilities for a digital r-camera are at present examined. 

Yours sincerely 
Attila of Gyimes 
end quotation 

Who has other and large knowledge in addition, I would be grateful to that for an
addition. 

MfG Johannes johannes@bindels.de 

Well light! 
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