Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have long suspected that clamping Leica glass on digital cameras might be the ultimate in "stupidity" from a financial point of view. The only real claim for 'reason' would seem to be distortions and abberations, which the sensor would pick up anyway. Now I hasten to add that I'm not sure, perhaps the wonderful pixel boys/gals can fix these optical problems as well ;-) On Monday, Mar 8, 2004, at 09:24 Australia/Melbourne, JCB wrote: > Many folks still believe that different (good) lenses will exhibit > different properties on digital cameras. They won't. Good lenses > (Leica, canon, Nikon, Minolta, Zeiss, etc...) will all look alike if > used on the same camera. The pixel spacing and interpolation firmware > (in the camera) determine the resolution properties of the resulting > photograph. Up sizing software (Genuine Fractals, etc.) can make even > larger sharp "looking" images. Your good lenses are much much sharper > than 6 to 9 micron pixel spacing on a sensor therefore, it's all in > the firmware/software which is fooling you into thinking that > different lenses on the same digital camera make a difference. They > cannot. And the same lenses on different cameras simply point out how > good the firmware programmer, for that camera, is. > > Digital is not film. Digital cameras have finite spacing on each > recorded pixel. Film does not. Silver halide molecules are not only > random, but there are billions of them within a 1 cubic micron grain. > Lots of opportunities to record light rays. Lots of levels of density > available within each one micron, overlapped, silver halide grains. > Film is the only medium that can differentiate between film camera > lenses. True digital lenses are dumbed down so that their resolution > (MTF) is several times less than the 6-9 micron pixel spacing. Digital > cameras (SLR's) that take camera lenses have a lens resolution (MTF) > spoiling low pass filter mounted over the sensor. Digital sensors are > the great lens equalizer. > > When testing lenses on digital cameras for sharpness, you are testing > the programmer, not the lens. > > All of the large prints that you see from ordinary (35mm style) > digital cameras is testimony to the software wizards that can write > interpolation software to up-size a minimal amount of information and > make it look really good. A silk purse out of a sow's ear! Like making > a 20x30 print from a 2.7 MP camera. Basically, it's like > slight-of-hand. There simply isn't enough information to make a 20x30 > from 2.7, 3, 5, 6,... MP sensors. Interpolation programmers are > magicians. Look up "interpolation" in the dictionary. > > You don't have to believe the above. Your prerogative. But it is true, > regardless. > > JB > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > Alastair - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html