M8 - What if this is as good as it gets?

[adan]

I'm almost late for work, so this is a "stub" post to which I will return later (feel free to comment in the meantime).

I love my Voigtlander 15mm on the M8, to the limited extent I've used it on demo cameras.

But it shows cyan corners - even with NO additional infrared filtering, internal or external.

(see below)

Rangefinder lenses are - different - from SLR lenses, especially at the short, wide end. Leica has licked some of the problems they can have with digital (vignetting, image smearing, sensor reflections). But the cost may be the infrared and/or magenta issues (banding is something separate, and not really germane to THIS post).

I get the feeling that some would-be M8 buyers expected the M8 to be nothing more (or less) than a digital SLR, minus the mirror, and with a cute little window in one corner. That may never be the case unless Leica throws out their whole RF lens line and redesigns digital-friendly lenses (i.e. Canon/Nikon/R-series-sized retrofocus wideangles).


More later....

[davidmires]

Eventually they will solve these problems, I think. The technology to do this hasn't arrived yet, but it will. Just as the technology to go as fer as they have this year wasn't there 5 years ago. The camera is a huge accomplishment, despite its problems, IMO.
Cheers, David

[albertwang]

Perhaps they need to consider telecentric rangefinder lenses like the 4/3 ones. No color casting there.

[gumshoecamus]

hi andy
looking into the future, I guess this is what all the lens coding is really about. leica either uses coding to overcome some of the inherent problems with the M rangefinder setup and digital capture, or develops an entirely new system.

juding by hasselblad's recent moves (the h3d) and the revelation about hidden raw-level image adjustements in the dmr based on the lens informtaion, I think some devlopers see the best way to overcome the problems of digital with pre-raw processing.
(seems that canon does this anyway, to contribute to its low-noise levels at very high isos). hasselblad's new closed system for the h3d is regrettable, but the IQ results speak for themselves -- see LL threads on the anti-distortion and abberation features. I think I read something on putts' site about this, he called it a 'mechatronics' revolution at leica.
dave

btw, as usual, your contributions here abour the m8 are great. years ago I remember reading your workmanlike review of the D2 on photo.net -- really great)