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Compact interchangeable lens camera coming 09/12


andybarton

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If in 2011 one can easily shake such photographs out of the hand without effort with a 79 year old lens and an older, technically more limited digital M body, what can a skilled user do in 79 years with a 75 Summicron APO and any Leica M body with features of 1960 or 2011?

 

Skilled photographers have shot great images with wet plates and all kinds of cameras. I see this as a discussion about technology and not about photography. These new compact interchangeable lens cameras exemplify what can be done with the latest technology. I can't see Leica saying that the M9 and current lenses are "good enough"and won't be developed further as they watch the competition pass them by. There are various ways the camera can be further developed.

 

I bet it is difficult and expensive for Leica to achieve the required precision and quality consistency via the mechanical focusing linkage. This could be improved and simplified via an electronic linkage. A benefit will be that one probably won't need to send lenses and bodies off for calibration.

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The idea of incorporating electronic contacts to the M mount is for the new "Compact interchangeable lens camera", and the purpose is to control AF lenses.

 

A different thing is the classical rangefinder camera, like the M9. This class of cameras may keep the simpler mount, without electronic contacts (excluding the use of AF lenses on classical bodies), for a while.

 

Using the same physical mount allows for some degree of compatibility between the "new" system and the classic one, but even full compatibility if the format is 24x36 and the electronic contacts are in the two systems. Leica may increase that integration step by step. The basic parameters are the mount's specifications and the format (if they plan to develop AF lenses for the new camera).

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Why would Leica use the venerable M mount for the new system when it doesn’t fulfill the requirements as is? If they should decide against the M mount they could use an even shorter flange distance (as is customary for EVIL systems nowadays), build a smaller camera, and provide M lens compatibility with an adapter that reads the 6 bit code and transmits it to the body (electronically of course). There is no downside to an adapter solution. The M10, on the other hand, could still get live view (as an option for those who want that) without changing the mount.

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This would require a completely new line of lenses instead of a couple of AF zooms complementing M lenses as is or with some electric contacts if any.

Yes, it would require a new line of AF lenses. The new system wouldn’t make much sense without that. M compatibility would just be an added bonus and I suppose the new system will be targeted at photographers who might never buy an M lens. Conversely, M photographers had no use for AF zooms.

 

Leica pretty much owns the digital rangefinder market; why should they create another system targeting the same market, rather than creating something appealing to a wider audience beyond the established rangefinder market?

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Yes, it would require a new line of AF lenses. The new system wouldn’t make much sense without that...

I'm not an armchair CEO, Michael, but i seem to recall what Stefan Daniel said in his last interview in Paris: Leica has two lines of lenses already, M and S, developping a third one would be "complicated".

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i seem to recall what Stefan Daniel said in his last interview in Paris: Leica has two lines of lenses already, M and S, developping a third one would be "complicated".

That was about Leica’s decision not to join the Micro-FourThirds consortium, wasn’t it?

 

A new system needs new lenses; I don’t see a way around that fact.

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Let size and weight of lenses remain the same!!!

 

If someone needs EXACT aperture - Leica can make possible via firmware to set its value in menu - like in RICOH M module.

 

Guys, when I joined Leica world - I was missing so many. After getting used to, I feel free.

 

LV/EVF - nice to have, helpful, yes.

But let rangefinder remain rangefinder.

Let M lenses remain M lenses.

 

If someone needs full control, options, possibilities - S or new coming mirrorless probably can give that.

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If you add electronics, it's no longer an M mount.

 

Seems to me the M will be continued with the M10.

 

AF etc will arise in the space we're talking about--a new mirrorless camera with auto everything, in shared development between Leica and another manufacturer.

 

Done right (doesn't Leica always do right? ;)), the mount will allow use of M and R lenses by means of an adapter. Heavens, micro Four Thirds already allows that; so does the Sony NEX; so does the Ricoh GXR with M mount attachment.

 

For a number of us here, it's obvious that a camera with a snazzy new lensmount won't be an M camera.

 

 

Product families: S-line + M-line + ??-line + X-line + D-line.

 

First and second are totally Leica; third and fourth are mainly Leica; fifth is slightly Leica.

 

Second is basically manual with auto exposure; others are fully automatic.

 

First, second and third have interchangeable lenses; fourth and fifth are point-n-shoot.

 

Or am I missing something? :confused:

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But now a Fuji X10 is announced(?!).

Not yet (but maybe on Thursday …). There are only so many letters in the alphabet and there was both a Canon D60 and (six years later) a Nikon D60, for example.

 

Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if Leica would introduce both a fixed-lens X2 and the new EVIL system.

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No, we won’t. Any M-related rumour involving a 36 x 24 mm Kodak sensor of the KAI range can be safely discarded. These line of sensors has never been used for anything but industrial and scientific applications, not for photography as we know it.

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