photokina - Your Questions To Leica

[stunsworth]

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why not a 36 mm x 36 mm camera as a successor to the M9? It only would take a square CCD chip? All M lenses would be used to their fullest .

 

It wouldn't work. The Image circle of an M lens wouldn't cover a sensor of that size.

[Guest dk_samurai]

Haven't read the entire thread, but my question to Leica is if we can please have an M9 in chrome soon?

 

/David

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[pierovitch]

It wouldn't work. The Image circle of an M lens wouldn't cover a sensor of that size.

 

Why not? the Vignetting and MTF plots for most M lenses go to 21.6 mm off axis without a problem.

[stunsworth]

Why not? the Vignetting and MTF plots for most M lenses go to 21.6 mm off axis without a problem.

 

 

That's fine for a 36x24 sensor, but for a 36x36 sensor you'd need to look at the off axis performance at 25.5mm. I'd expect that to show considerable vignetting and quality fall off.

[SJP]

So you could cover a 30.5x30.5 square sensor without more vignetting than on a 36x24 sensor. Is a novel idea a "Leicablad M".

[bdickers]

photokina - Your Questions To Leica

 

Next month in Cologne the photokina will take place - again a great opportunity to get in contact with Leica and other manufacturers.

 

Together with Leica I'll organize a meeting (most probably on Saturday) with forum members and some Leica product managers to give you the chance to talk to Leica directly.

 

So - what are your questions to Leica?

For example regarding ...

- Current products, new gear and future developments

- Strategy and market estimations

- Technology, design and usability

- Marketing and communication

 

We'll sum up the results and present them here in the forum!

 

Will Leica produce a firmware update to deal with the auto focus speed on the X1?

[bill]

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Why is leica against video recording? 1080p would be great on an M9....

 

...A simple and barebones approach to video recording would do the leica M9 a whole deal of good.

 

Can we have an assurance that Leica will continue to ignore demands for bloatware and feature-creep that would change the DNA of the M series such as autofocus, video mode, clip-on electronic viewfinders or a built-in handgrip.

 

...different planets, let alone poles apart...

 

Regards.

 

Bill

[earleygallery]

Can we have a simple answer to the question have you or have you not ceased production of the Film M's? (this means completely ceased, please be clear with the answer, i.e. if you have stopped production temporarily or are only now making to order/a la carte models).

 

If the answer to the above question is Yes, will you sell off the machinery/designs to someone else (Russian/Chinese manufacturer) instead?

[earleygallery]

Why not produce some lenses in LTM thread mount to give users a new Leica alternative to the Voigtlander lenses, excellent though they are.

[wattsy]

Why not produce some lenses in LTM thread mount to give users a new Leica alternative to the Voigtlander lenses, excellent though they are.

 

"Because we can't be arsed. Next question."

[bjdejong]

An M camera with a square sensor, improved high-iso and a very large dynamic range would bring me into the market to upgrade my beloved M9 immediately.

 

Barend Jan de Jong

http://infocast.nl

[erl]

"Because we can't be arsed. Next question."

 

Hmm. I think that should be "asked".

[spylaw4]

"Because we can't be arsed. Next question."

 

They can be bothered if enough folks ask for them (and pay a deposit?). Witness the three chrome late model LTMs made some years ago for the Japanese market - 35 'cron ASPH, 50 'cron, and 50 'lux non-ASPH. Around 1000 made of each.

[40mm f/2]

[sJP][so you could cover a 30.5x30.5 square sensor without more vignetting than on a 36x24 sensor. Is a novel idea a "Leicablad M".]

I like that idea but what form factor? A highres EVIL display on the top of the camera with a foldout loupe.

then I need a good shift/tilt lens and a macro (120-150 mm) but in a size like a M lens and not a S lens.

[wattsy]

Witness the three chrome late model LTMs made some years ago for the Japanese market - 35 'cron ASPH, 50 'cron, and 50 'lux non-ASPH. Around 1000 made of each.

 

Yes, I remember those well but I think the market has changed considerably since then. I considered buying the LTM versions of the 35 ASPH and the 50 Summilux when they were easily obtainable five or six years ago (for around 80% of the equivalent price of the new M mount) but decided against because of the 1m close focus limit. I'm not sure they were a huge success for Leica and this was a time when a new 35/F2 ASPH was an affordable £800 or so. Now that Leica can sell as many lenses as they can make (presumably driven by M8/M9 owners who want the latest flashy thing), I can't imagine there is much motivation to reach out to LTM owners. Collectors aside, I can't see many LTM buyers being interested in an LTM 35/F2 ASPH for £2000.

[wlaidlaw]

I would agree with what Ian says on LTM lenses. You only have to look at Voigtlander's range where they are gradually changing over to M mount. I would assume they are doing this as the LTM models are just not selling.

 

I personally feel Leica has enough on its quite small plate already, with continuing development and expansion of M and S lenses, plus presumably M10, S3 and X2. Being realistic, we as end users, can only hope to steer the Leica ship a few degrees off its pre-set course, so abstruse or limited opportunity requests will be ignored.

 

Wilson

[giordano]

So you could cover a 30.5x30.5 square sensor without more vignetting than on a 36x24 sensor. Is a novel idea a "Leicablad M".

 

No. M-mount lenses don't even leave space for a 20.5 mm high focusing screen and mirror, never mind 30.5mm.

[lct]

I would agree with what Ian says on LTM lenses. You only have to look at Voigtlander's range where they are gradually changing over to M mount. I would assume they are doing this as the LTM models are just not selling...

Yes amongst a large dozen LTM lenses only 3 or 4 are not discontinued IINW.

[SJP]

No. M-mount lenses don't even leave space for a 20.5 mm high focusing screen and mirror, never mind 30.5mm.

I was referring to the square frame, not the presence of a mirror etc. In my (unique & fictional) space a Leicablad M is a rangefinder with a square sensor instead of the current 36/28.

 

The main difference with M8/9 being that a square frame gives different aesthetics.

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[elgenper]

I was referring to the square frame, not the presence of a mirror etc. In my (unique & fictional) space a Leicablad M is a rangefinder with a square sensor instead of the current 36/28.

 

The main difference with M8/9 being that a square frame gives different aesthetics.

 

<OFF TOPIC>I am another ´square lover´ since I used Hasselblads and Rolleis for years; I miss the format.

 

Only, I don´t quite think it would go well with a RF camera (and I´m not talking about technical obstacles). A square is a rather static and contemplative format; an oblong rectangle implies action or at least direction. And looking down a waist level finder and carefully composing on a large screen is well suited for static and contemplative work, while a rangefinder is more about action (in a wide sense).</OFF TOPIC>