Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/11/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>To Be Announced, and available about the same time by next Photokina. >Same size as M camera, 1.5mm thicker, metal focal plane shutter to >1/8000, 1/250 sync but fairly quiet, 2.5in. screen, similar >options/layout as DMR, SD card and Li Ion battery through 'bottom >plate, just like the present one'; frame and magnification layout not >decided, new lens identification scheme but all M lenses exept some >odd ones like the Hologon and 21/3.4 useable. 10.5 Mp, 1.33 factor, >Kodak chip, electronics not by Imacon but a German company??? Price >aim at this time 4000 Euro, $5000USD. Sensor has special filter pack >to reduce thickness for M-wideangle performance (no anti-alias filter >just like the DMR), as well as special differentially specced >collector lenses for the sharp angled rays entering the photosites. >Motorized shutter cocking. New lenses to come to handle wideangle >views with sensor size factor in mind, but at present all designs >will be useable for film as well. Source is Stefan Daniel from Solms, >today at the LHSA. > >As the announcement is still some time off, specs are likely to be >somewhat different when finalized, but that's the general concept. >Prototypes have apparently already taken pictures, but there's a way >to go. The idea of using the -probably- best ever built lenses in a digital camera is great! It seems that the Kodak sensor have the same qualities -and defects- that medium format sensors so color rendition and resolution will be for sure very good and high ISO pictures will not reach by no means the image quality of other sensors. And, however others opinions, for me the cropping factor is disappointing while I can understand that cost factors involved have made offering a FF cameras very difficult.. So new wide lenses -let's say 16,18,20mm and so- are in the horizon what makes the future investment harder to digest. Anyway and however our 21, 28, 35, 50 and 90 will be in fact 28, 37, 47, 67 and 120 the digital M seems to me a more sensible approaching that the hybrid DMR+R camera and, after some tests, I'll be prone to buy it. If the camera is good, updates are not a problem as high end DSLR cameras are updating every two years and the old ones are however working properly. The main problem here is the capacity of the firm to follow the quick digital evolution. But again our Leicas will be firing much later that Leica -if it was the case- had perished. Another typical Leica behavior the launching and the prices may be rather different than previously announced. Regards. Felix