Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/31

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Subject: [Leica] Erwin reviews new Summilux
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Sat Jan 31 16:03:42 2009

In the past and time seems to move quicker in the past digital decade Leica
introduces a lens and proudly states it would not leave its film using
client base in the lurch by coming out with one which did not cover full
frame for film though users of a half frame Leica could!

But in the past very few  years a few things have happened.
The big burden of serious photography has shifted away from cropped digital
shooting and landed squarely into full frame digital shooting.
Nobodies addressing the needs of cropped digital shooters any more.
But It may be Leica has given up on going full frame with the M as its
putting a huge amount of R&D into the S system and promises of a Digital R
system.
I'm guessing they have given up on a full frame M system. That's just my
guess.
Their R&D guys are not the same guys who would be able to address this issue
it looks like to me.
Bending sensors on the outsides of a 24x36mm sensor inward so to grab glass
which was right up against it so there are no problems.

When a Leica lens comes out I think its being shot with an M8.
The ones sold. More so than with film Leicas.
That's just my guess. I guess I get my guess from reading the LUG and
talking to Leica using people off list.
Some of us use film but by far most of the people shooting Leica now are
using M8's. That's what it looks like to me.
Every day in every day film gets used less and less.

I'm hoping Leica changes its mind and hires people to figure out the issue
with a FF sensor on the M system.
I think it can be done.

For some reason when I see the work done with a 21mm Super Angulon which we
first heard would not work on an M8 but then turns out to work perfectly....
Gives me hope.


Mark William Rabiner



> From: Ric Carter <ricc@embarqmail.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:44:51 -0500
> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Erwin reviews new Summilux
> 
> Surely a cheaper, smaller Leica lens could be produced for the M8
> since the circle of coverage would be smaller. It would have at least
> those two advantages.
> 
> Still, we see and hear only of compatible (read full 35mm  frame)
> lenses.
> 
> So, maybe this indicates that Leica sees a full 35mm frame sensor in
> its future?
> 
> Ric Carter
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/ricc/
> 
> 
> On Jan 31, 2009, at 4:29 PM, Geoff Hopkinson wrote:
> 
>> No, no, no, no Mark.
>> No because they already make a new range of extremely compact modest
>> aperture lenses, the Summarits.
>> Those are tiny, relatively cheaper and have nearly all of the
>> performance of
>> the other modern designs but still covering your full 35mm crop
>> circle.
>> No because the M8 sensor capturea a stunning amount of information
>> from
>> their best glass already.
>> No because the resolution of the M8 sensor is already appropriate if
>> you
>> want to go mathematical and calculate crop circles of confusion.
>> No because any 'DX' lens would be useless on the film Ms that Leica
>> still
>> makes.
>> No because any 'DX' lens would  be useless on any future 35mm sensor M
>> camera.
>> 
>> The extra capability mentioned with the Elmar 24 for example is the
>> performance in the outer field which is not recorded by the M8 'crop
>> circle'
>> Performance in the extrem corners is pretty academic.
>> 
>> Did I mention no? ;-)
>> 
>> 2009/1/31 Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com>
>> 
>>> These super lenes by Leica to be used at a fraction of a fraction
>>> of its
>>> capabilities on an M8 with a 1.33 crop factor its enough but not
>>> quite
>>> enough to get someone to shoot film.
>>> 
>>> Leica could make some killer DX lenes for the M8.
>>> Incredibly sharp compact glass designed for the 1.33 crop circle
>>> factor.
>>> Film shooters are getting to be the tip of the iceberg of a niche.
>>> 
>>> A niche niche.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Mark William Rabiner
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Cheers
>> Geoff
>> Weather is here, wish you were beautiful
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



Replies: Reply from crbirchenhall at googlemail.com (Christopher Birchenhall) ([Leica] Erwin reviews new Summilux)
In reply to: Message from ricc at embarqmail.com (Ric Carter) ([Leica] Erwin reviews new Summilux)