fotografz Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Okay, I've had enough of this digi-weenieness. It's creeping into every thread. And I ain't helping by cramming my 2 cents in either. So, along the lines of Jay's quiz a while ago I have a proposal for a digital M camera that I think they could make...IF they aren't lying about the lens coverage issue that's supposedly stopping them. I'm sure all the gear heads will have a field day with this one. Would you accept a M of 8 or 9 meg that wasn't a full 24X36 format sensor? That would mean we'd be dealing with a lens multiplication factor of maybe 1.6X. But the light path should then work to strike the sensor more head on. A 21 ASPH would equal a 35mm, a 24 = 40mm, a 28 =45mm, a 35=56mm, a 50 = 80, 75 = 120mm, 90 =144mm. By altering the cameras rangefinder bright lines and cam, current lenses could bring up the correct framing. It would probably need at least a .085 finder or one like in the M3. If you just couldn't live without a W/A, use a VC 12 mm = 19mm. 15mm = 24mm and use the clip on finders for 21 and 24. Personally, I don't need a big honking LED on it either. A smaller one with it programed to flash-warn overexposed areas is all you need. Call it the M-D and you have proverbial Leica "Doctor Market" locked up going in. Wadayathink? Am I smoking the drapes here?<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcg Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 I don't know, Marc. Do they all come with that Noctilux?! Okay, dammit, I'll take two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 What's the rewind crank for? Stirring martinis? The MD designation has already been used for the finderless M4 based version of the M1. Maybe Leica DM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_barker Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Oooo, yeah! That would give us an 80mm/f1.0 lens! Yippee! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Good catch Al. I guess it wouldn't need a film advance lever either. DM it is.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete1 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 There is no reason at all why they cannot make the camera with a full frame sensor. At the very least, I would accept 24mm x 30mm for an easy 8x10 enlargement. Sorry but the missing rewind crank makes this look like a real chop job. Fill out the top deck like the M5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_piper2 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Yo, Marc; remember <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003nWR">this thread?</a></p> </p> The headache with the Leica is the paired frames: </p> </p> 24,35, and 135 have to have coordinated frames </p> 21,28, and 90 have to have coordinated frames </p> 50 and 75 have to have coordinated frames </p> </p> which would give you (effective focal length pairings, 1.6x)</p> </p> 40 and 56 </p> 80 and 120 </p> 45 and 144 </p> </p> which probably aren't too bad, especially the last.</p> </p> The manual frame setting of the Bessa-R2 would allow you to use the existing viewfinder straight out of the box (assuming a 1.4x chip)</p> </p> 24 - set 35 frame </p> 35 - set 50 frame </p> 50 - set 75 frame </p> </p> The last I heard from a Leica rep is that, even with the M7, Leica can't see a way to integrate the electronics between the shutter/camera and a digiback, even if they solve the optical questions. I don't know how much water that holds, since quasi-mechanical MF cameras are getting digibacks</p> </p> (An R digiback is still 2 years out, but is being actively pursued).</p> </p> Anyway, I dream along with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Okay Pete, Hmmm, I'm not so sure. Looks a little lopsided. Maybe, it could work with a little more tweekage..<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_conboy1 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Sure, sure, the proposed specs are fine. I like the "smoking the drapes" line. I haven't heard that in 6 years - it was late business partner's favorite line. He was my Marley..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliot Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Marc. I have little interest in a digital M body. However, if there were such a thing that looked and felt and was the same size as a classic M, like you pictured, I might be interested. But you and I both know that it won't be anything like you picture. It would be some megablob with little or no relationship to an M body. BTW, what is that thing on the Noctilux where the focussing ring is located? Mine doesn't have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 I see no provision for the batteries, electronics, digital controls and LCD display in your mockup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Eliot, it's one of Lutz's thing-a-ma-bobs. I think he calls it the Steer. It has really improved my focusing speed and accuracy on some of the faster lenses like the Nocti, 75 and 90AA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 They're all on the back Ellis. I'm looking at them right now. Look good. Easy to use too. The battery is in the area where the rewind crank use to be.Nice little rechargable lith-Ion flat cellThe sensor is a CMOS, so the battery life is pretty good. Also, all the ports are on the back, including an external power jack. These digi-shots were all taken with the second body I just made up. Mmmm, those drapes sure are a smooth smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee_shively Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Marc, you got too damn much idle time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vijay_nebhrajani Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 I seem to got too much time too - 1. The frame counter also needs to go. 2. The top deck right (in the image, near the finder) is rectangular, and the body is circular at the end, this is an obvious mess. 3. Why an optical rangefinder, when you can have an electronic one? In fact, I'd like to see a very high res eye-level electronic finder that shows me exactly how the final pic will look like, with darkened areas in out-of-focus places. All in-focus areas will be brighter. Further, the viewfinder will darken/brighten with reducing/increasing exposure. Thus, all I'd have to do was (like a 1960's TV set), adjust the "brightness" (and maybe "contrast"), focus and click. Goodbye matrix metering, zone system and whatnot. Of course, to implement it, Leica would have to hire me, and they certainly cannot afford that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert knapp md Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 I like it. Let's get Panasonic to make it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_dominick Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 OK, lets face it and call a spade a spade - a Leica M was only meant to be a fully mechanical, precision instrument, not some weird, electronic digital monstrosity!!! Leave well enough alone. The last TRUE Leica M was the M6TTL, and as I understand from Leica's website, the last 999 have just been produced - what a pity, and the end of an era in photography!!!M7 and its successors are all downhill from herein. What a shame for photography, and for Leica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug_hagerman Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Why bother when you can get one of these: http://www.casio.com/corporate/pressroom.cfm?act=2&pr=5987<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_pfile Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Stephen, Sounds like a quote from an LTM user of 40 years ago. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Marc, round off the end by the finder and it looks fine. I vote for an M2 style manual reset "frame" counter to keep track of how many pix are on the "film" card, advanced by an M2 style wind lever. You wanna take another picture, you gotta wind the exposure counter to get the electronics on to the next frame. Love that retro look! Without a 35mm film cartridge or take up spool there should be plenty of room for electronics and battery. How about a 35mm cartridge sized battery? Please, no electronic rangefinder substitute. If you can't focus a Leica the old fashioned way there's plenty of other cameras out there for you. I think that it's important to keep handling as close as possible to the film bodies so we don't have to fiddle around when switching back and forth between film and digital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Looks great, sounds great. Trouble is, Leica has to get those 999 commemoratively-"imprinted" M6TTL's and a run green lizard-skin platinum-plated diamond-studded Sir Elton John M7's out before they can ask Hermes for an R&D allowance to get started looking into the D-M--and then they have to wait for their marketing department to decide how to un-spin the "it's impossible" line, so if we want to see it before we're in nursing homes we might have to get Konica or Cosina to build it ;>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_kallo Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 <center><img src="http://homepage.mac.com/quietglow/public/image.jpg"></center> Yeah, I like the rounded corner better too. I thought that I'd do a nice Leica script on the top (what's a Leica without a script?) but found that it was "too late on a Friday night" for that. (What's become of my life that I spend Friday evenings PSing images of Leicas?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Or do it on this side of the Big Pond and convince Elcan to make 'em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajabbi Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Oh Hell! Leave it as it was INCLUDING the "Steer". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor_osatuke Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Marc, The crank can be used to manually recharge the batteries. Now this digital camera can take M lenses, and work anywhere in the world. A true dream come true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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