[Leica] 4/3 question

[vondauster at earthlink.net (Will von Dauster)]

On dusty sensors:

On Jun 18, 2006, at 12:09 AM, Daniel Ridings wrote:

> It is a wee bit over exaggerated, Jayanand, but it exists. It happened
> to me once with my D100, but it came off easily with a standard
> rubber-bulb blower.
>
> But that is only once in how many years? I bought the D100 when it  
> came out.

My experience is different, perhaps I shoot and change lenses more  
often. My Canon 10 and 20Ds had constant problems with dust  
splotching. Yes, you can clean the sensor after you've noticed the  
problem, but when one is on assignment one cannot always go back and  
ask the President (yes, I have) or whomever to repose or do whatever  
again.

It seldom ruins a photograph, IME, but never is better than seldom.

> I always thought the strength of the 4/3 system was going to be a
> standardization around lens mounts and things like that, allowing
> manufacturers (camera manufacturers) to piggy-back on some standards.
> It never really took off though. In the end, there will be three
> standard mounts, just like there always has been: Nikon, Canon and
> Pentax.

Well, Olympus and that other odd little non-standard lens mount  
maker, Leica, are two companies I at least consider significant and  
who've adopted the 4/3 system. The big two have no reason to adopt  
any standard other than their own. Has someone else used the K-mount  
for digital?

> I have handled an E-1 at work (we bought one for a museum project).
> Feels solid, the way you want a camera to feel. If the prices came
> down I'd consider it, but that is what it would take to get me to
> conisider Olympus. Instead of buying in to an open system, you get
> locked in to an odd system.

I would argue that all systems are pretty much equally closed or  
open. And how much cheaper than $500 for a pro body would one want to  
get? Having said that, I, like BD and others, am hoping Oly (or  
Panasonic/Leica, for that matter) gets a next generation professional  
body on the market sooner rather than later!

Will von Dauster