Digital Camera With GERMAN Lense-Which?

[dennis_mansour1]

I am looking to buy a Digital camera that uses German lense. It can

be Leica or Zeiss etc.. I want a camera that has Excellent Colors

and Sharp. I need up to 16x20 on ocassion and mainly 11x14. I was

thinking of The Leica Digilux 2, Panasonic LC-1, or wait for

something NEW to come out this year. I like autofocus and need ISO

400 and 800 for low light. Is there such an animal out there or will

there be this year, 2006? Thank you very much. Dennis

[erikhaugsby]

Is there any specific reason that you want "German" glass in your camera? Modern optical formulas from Canon and Nikon can easily rival and surpass that which is branded from companies based in Germany.

<p>

Furthermore, many if not all of the modern lenses that have Zeiss or Leica written on the barrel <i>are</i> produced in Japan. They are then merely branded with the [insert Brand Name here] name. Sony has a monopoly on the Zeiss name for digital cameras, while Panasonic has a deal with Leica. Further proof to this practice is that Nokia has recently signed a deal with Zeiss for exclusive use of the Zeiss T* brand name on their camera phones, regardless of where the glass (plastic?} elements are actually fabricated, and by whom.

<p>

Forget who the lens is branded by and it will save you much grief later.

[dennis_mansour1]

I have always liked the German lenses when I used to shoot with film.Yes, I am sure that Canon and Nikon have very good lenses. Maybe I am too much of a German lense fan. I appreciate it, thanks Dennis

[SCL]

You can buy a digital Canon, Epson, Leica DMR - all which can use "German" Leica R lenses. In the fall of this year Leica is anticipated to announce its digital M camera. All depends on how much money you have to spend. Seems like you have a lot of choices in addition to those you mentioned.

[eliot_rosen1]

Furthermore, many if not all of the modern lenses that have Zeiss or Leica written on the barrel are produced in Japan.

 

This is certainly not true. No currently produced Leica M lenses are made in Japan. No M system lenses have ever been made in Japan to my knowledge. Among the currently produced R lenses, I don't believe that any are made in Japan. A handful of previous Leica R lenses were made in Japan (eg., the 28-70/3.5-4.5 zoom and the 24/2.6 Rlmarit-R), but the vast majority were made in Germany.

 

The statement that many or all Leica lenses are made in Japan is just not true. That statement is probably true for Zeiss lenses for 35 mm cameras, although the Zeiss medium format lenses have been mostly made in Germany. You are painting with too broad a brush.

[harvey_trautenberg1]

UH OH! Here it comes.

[shambrick007]

"I need up to 16x20 on ocassion and mainly 11x14. I was thinking of The Leica Digilux 2, Panasonic LC-1, or wait for something NEW to come out this year. I like autofocus and need ISO 400 and 800 for low light.",p>Then forget anything that not at least an APS-C sized sensor.

[dan flanders]

The sorriest lens I ever owned was a Laak/Rathenow 4.5 "Dialytar" made in Germany and furnished in a Prontor shutter with my Speed Graphic of 1942. Today I own several non-German lenses, among them a 1.4/50 Nikkor and a 2.0/50 Amotal. The old 75mm 3.5 Skopar on my Voigtlander 'Superb' will shoot rings around the Tessar on my Rollei. While many of the World's best lenses were made in Germany, those designed by Walter Mandler and made in Midland Ontario are among the best ever made for th 135 format!

[robert meier]

Why not look at the Sony R-1? It has a Carl Zeiss T* lens that has gotten rave reviews.

[erikhaugsby]

"Furthermore, many if not all of the modern lenses that have Zeiss or Leica written on the barrel are produced in Japan.

 

This is certainly not true. No currently produced Leica M lenses are made in Japan. No M system lenses have ever been made in Japan to my knowledge. Among the currently produced R lenses, I don't believe that any are made in Japan. A handful of previous Leica R lenses were made in Japan (eg., the 28-70/3.5-4.5 zoom and the 24/2.6 Rlmarit-R), but the vast majority were made in Germany.

 

The statement that many or all Leica lenses are made in Japan is just not true. That statement is probably true for Zeiss lenses for 35 mm cameras, although the Zeiss medium format lenses have been mostly made in Germany. You are painting with too broad a brush.

"

 

when I said that, I intended it to consider the lenses in compact cameras such as the mentioned Sony R1 or Pana-Leica D-Lux 2, etc., NOT the RF or SLR lenses made for Leica/Zeiss/Voigtlander/Contax RF/SLR cameras.

 

Sorry for not specifing.

[Troll]

Don't get your knickers in a wringer about it, Honey.

[oceanphysics]

If you want a racially pure Arian lens you'll probably have to go with a camera that takes Leica M or R lenses, or maybe Zeiss or Schneider lenses for the Hasselblad or Rolleiflex medium format cameras. As others have noted, the "Leica" and "Zeiss" lenses on digicams are made in Japan.

[peter_evans4]

<p><em>Why not look at the Sony R-1? It has a Carl Zeiss T* lens that has gotten rave reviews.</em></p><p>Made by the good folks that gave the world Zenzanon lenses, I'd suppose.</p>

[dennis_mansour1]

I appreciate all your responses. This might sound stupid but what does Leica DMR stand for? I was thinking of MF but cant afford the Digital back.

[terry_rory]

"If you want a racially pure Arian lens you'll probably have to go with a camera that takes Leica M or R lenses"

 

WTF ?

 

What about Canadian lenses then?

[EricM]

"What about Canadian lenses then?"

 

thank you, glad someone's awake :D

[steve_swinehart]

"This might sound stupid but what does Leica DMR "

 

Digital module "R" for the Leica R series (8,9) SLR cameras.

[socke]

R8 or R9 with DMR should fit your bill, more german than a Contax 645 with digital back and much cheaper than a Rollei 6008 with digital back. All of them are bargains compared to a Sinar M :-)

[rolfe_tessem]

Nikon D200 with the new line of Zeiss MF lenses in Nikon mount?

[terry_rory]

Rolfe. D200 + Zeiss ZF. That is my plan too.

 

I have a digital M already (M6 + Coolscan V digital 'back') and it is full frame.

[david_reynolds4]

None of the current point & shoot digital cameras can match the optics & resolution of the

new Leica D-Lux 2. 8.4 MP, 3 different aspect ratios, and compact & bult better that any

other. The Leica version that I have is better than the Panasonic version by having a metal

body, better warranty, and better software bundle. Don't forget about the purty red dot too!

Lens is made in GERMANY. ISO range is 80 to 400.

[ramig]

David, although it is not my cup of tea I happened to hold the panasonic you are taking about

(the one that has a Leica version). You obviously did not. It is a full, and a very impressive,

metal body.

 

btw, as others have pointed out, I cannot help the original poster since I am a happy user of

non-German lenses, such as the Leica Summilux 75, (made in canada) which, I guess, is not

good enough for the poster. Guess a german digilux will do better.

[peter_werner1]

Leica lenses for Panasonic made cameras (including the Digilux 2 and the D-Lux2, as well as the soon to come C-Lux), while made in Japan, are designed by Leica and the quality control follows Leica standards. As a user, I would consider them as legitimate German lenses.

<br><br>

While Nikon, Canon and others can certainly make excellent lenses, their results IMHO are different, mainly in the fields of color rendition and micro-contrast. The same subject taken under the same circumstances with a Leica or a Canon Camera/Lens look different. It is up to each users' personal taste, which rendition he prefers. I have used Leica, Canon and Nikon systems and prefer the subtle Kodachrome-like Leica colors to the flashier Fuji-like colors of the Japanese lenses.

<br><br>

Dennis, I think your wish for German lenses is perfectly legitimate and has nothing to do with "Arian" racism, as someody here has been implying. Having a preference for a Mercedes rather than a Lexus is after all, a matter of personal preference, too.

<br><br>

To add to the practical tips: do consider the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022609panasonicdmcl1.asp">Panasonic L1 4:3 DSLR</a> presented in Feburary for delivery later this year. Leica is developing a series of lenses for this camera, the first one being the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022608leica14-50mm.asp">Leica Vario Elmarit D 2.8-3.5/14-50mm</a>. Leica have also announced that they are developing their own DSLR body to use these lenses.

<br><br>

Cheers<br>

Peter

[peter_werner1]

Picture

[peter_werner1]

Sorry for the picture mess. I uploaded a picture of 511 pixel wide and 90KB size. I do not understand why it was not accepted. Another test: