Digital M/Digital Rebel was Re: [Leica] Lost Faith in Leica

[feli at creocollective.com (Feli di Giorgio)]

On Mon, 2004-09-20 at 14:03, B. D. Colen wrote:
> I suspect, Doug, that what Leica will do is give us a gorgeous piece of
> photographic equipment that will last as long as its owner wants to keep
> using it. And while we all keep getting hung up on the fact that the
> target is constantly moving, the truth is that for most people on this
> list, a good current sensor of 5 mgp or above will provide good enough
> quality images so that one really shouldn't ever hve to replace the
> camera.

Maybe it would make sense for Leica to make the camera modular.

You would end up with the control module containing the shutter,
rangefinder etc. which would be built to the usual Leica standard.
You would clip a digital back on to that, like the filmback/backdoor
on the old Contax IIa. That way Leica could offer different resolution 
backs ranging from 6-16 MP and and they could be full frame, x1.5 or x1.3
and the shooter buys the one they can afford. Of course there would have
to be a provision to adjust the framelines... 

In any case, it would probably also lower Leicas production costs, because 
they 
wouldn't have redesign  the entire camera every few years. They could also 
sell
the backs at a lower price, because they would be cheaper to make than an 
entire
camera.

Feli