Future Manual Focus Leica DSLR

[chanyr]

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In my opinion, It is more fun to use a manual focus SLR with an aperture ring and shutter speed dial and to enjoy the smooth damped focus of a quality manual focus lens that is all made out of metal. Does anyone else share the same sentiment? Do you think there is a market for such a classical camera that is so different from the cameras Nikon/Canon are making?

 

I would like to suggest a new classical manual focus DSLR with large throat lens mount designed around the APS-C (1.5x) format. This is a commonly available sensor format and it should reduce the costs of obtaining sensors. There is an interesting sensor developed by Aptina that Leica could use.

 

The large lens mount should allow for modern highly corrected digital lenses and it should be easier to design mechanical adapters for the Leica R with a larger mount. The APS-C format is also suitable for telephoto lenses for wildlife and nature photography and will not compete with the Leica S.

 

The electronics for all this to work might already exist in the form of the Leica X1. All they would need to do is design a new modern mount, mirror box and chassis.

 

Please share your thoughts and ideas.

[andybarton]

Have a look at the dozens of other "R solution" threads and people's ideas will be clear to you

[chanyr]

Andy, thanks for pointing me to the Leica R solution. Thats not what I'm looking for however.

 

I'm really interested in a Digilux 4 solution. Leica's Digilux 3 FourThirds initiative is dead in the water. Leica has mentioned that they have no intereted in micro FourThirds. There is currently no intermediate solution between point and shoot cameras and the high end Leica M9 and S2 products.

 

I would like Leica to consider a reboot or relaunch of the Digilux 4 with the same approach of commodity electronics on the camera side but using an APS-C sensor instead. There are other possible suppliers, Sony, Samsung, Aptina or Fujifilm's new sensor in the X100.

 

Instead of AF, I would also like Leica to consider making mechanical zoom lenses with well damped manual focus and nice aperture clickstops.

 

What do you guys think? I'm definately interested in such a solution.

[hoppyman]

Chanyr, no in my opinion there is not sufficient demand for Leica Camera or anyone else to make this a commercial success.