Leitax users - consider the "ante" well and truly "upped" - D800 specs

[k-hawinkler]

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Well there is another new related thread in the Customer Forum as well.

The problem with Barnack's Bar is that it is not visible to guests.

 

K-H.

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[andybarton]

As good, as the R glass might be, I doubt, one can see much benefit in resolving them with 36MP, when tests already find niggles with Nikon's best, high res purpose built primes (see D3x) are considered borderline!

 

Let's see how the tests pan out. I would love to see a direct comparison between the Nikon lenses and their nearest Leica equivalent (not here...) to see just how well the old Leicas stack up. Don't forget, most R lenses were designed in the 80s at best.

 

Given the cost, and the number of R lenses kicking about, this has the potential to make for some interesting comparisons with the S2 too. And for only £25,000 less cash...

[kanzlr]

smaller and lighter than D700 is a good thing, of course.

[jaapv]

Let's see how the tests pan out. I would love to see a direct comparison between the Nikon lenses and their nearest Leica equivalent (not here...) to see just how well the old Leicas stack up. Don't forget, most R lenses were designed in the 80s at best.

 

Given the cost, and the number of R lenses kicking about, this has the potential to make for some interesting comparisons with the S2 too. And for only £25,000 less cash...

Especially since it appears (at least some) R lenses can be used on the S2.

[hoppyman]

Lots and lots of old R users, including Mods, use Nikon bodies with their R glass. This is the right place for this discussion, as it is entirely relevant.

 

Discussion of this year's "greatest ever" point and shoot, do not belong here at all, IMHO.

Actually it was the 2000+ posts on the Fuji X100 that prompted me to express a member opinion this time and of course there is no discussion on using R glass on the D800 as yet since its unofficial anyway.

I know all about using Leica R lenses on Nikons etc (I have a Nikon dSLR too). And yes of course I saw that you initiated this particular thread. No Leica content in the thread yet (that ought to prompt some )

 

Umpire's decision accepted of course, Andy. No further suggestion from me then.

[andybarton]

No Leica content in the thread?

 

Well, that's a bit tricky since Leica don't make any solution for the R lens users any more, but with a simple modification to the lens mount (mentioned in the title), Nikon do.

 

If Leica ever get a body that offers some solution to R users, then that will be discussed - until then, we have no option to bring forward alternatives. This new body, official or not, is a more than viable alternative. I can also bet that any future Leica R solution will neither offer 36mpx nor cost only two and a half grand.

 

This news has to be of interest to Leica R users especially those that have gone to the trouble of extending the life of their lenses in this way.

Edited November 21, 2011 by andybarton

[dhsimmonds]

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I have been waiting for this release too. Short of some major bugs it will be my next dslr for sure.

CJ

 

I will wait for the Sony A99 due out next year and with the same sensor!

[Guest happytogger]

R lenses having been designed for film just are not shown at their best on any sensor which is 1 layer

& interpolates 2/3 of color data

& has an AA filter (although this is removable eg Nikon D700HR).

 

 

Sigma Cum Laude Home page for years has done R lens mount conversions on Foveon Sigma SD.

They are ofcourse not full 35mm, being just under 1.7x crop.

Yet as known Foveon is the closest sensor design to film & show R lenses at their best.

[d2mini]

Those pics are horrible. Total fakes.

You can even see where different parts are different resolutions and/or focus.

[algrove]

Interesting. I have been getting much more into MF photography at present. Digital backs are completely out of the question unless I have a lottery win. But I do wonder what the rumoured 36mp output of this monster will be like. On a pixel level basis probably poorer than a Hass CV-39 back but on a real-world basis probably similar. Certainly makes yer think.

 

LouisB

 

I don't know you or your preferences, but since Hasselblad has brought out new backs and Phase One too, the older Phase One P45+ price has come down considerably in the US with many trade-ups going on here. It will continue I am informed and as such a nice digital back for you could be a clean P45+ V mount.

[phancj]

I will wait for the Sony A99 due out next year and with the same sensor!

 

Heavily invested in Nikkors...so sony not an option.

 

CJ

[mmradman]

I don't know you or your preferences, but since Hasselblad has brought out new backs and Phase One too, the older Phase One P45+ price has come down considerably in the US with many trade-ups going on here. It will continue I am informed and as such a nice digital back for you could be a clean P45+ V mount.

 

It is niche against mainstream argument. Unless you really need top quality for image capture that comes with all the other drawbacks, price being one, DX/FX DSLR is clear favourite of the majority.

Hasselblad produced at best several thousand digital backs while full frame DSLRs are produced in much bigger numbers, I would guess exceeding 1 million mark for Sony, Nikon and Canon system combined.

Also don't forget easy access to good and versatile lenses for all big three. SLR lenses are produced in some quantity, close to 100 million for Nikon F and Canon EOS combined.

For us ability to fit Leica R lens to full frame camera from Sony/Nikon/Canon is real cherry on the cake – and there is almost 1 million R lenses around.

[menos I M6]

I never got very deep into the R lens adapted to Nikon F mount thing, although, I shoot Nikon, as the moment, I started, to explore the M system, I lost all interest in big and heavy SLR stuff.

 

So the question, I never saw answered for me on a detailed technical basis is:

 

What technical limitations in adapting R lenses exactly lead to not being able, to include auto diaphragm compatibility, to be able, to shoot without stop down metering ?

 

I know, space is a limiting factor, regarding mount adaption, but both the Nikon F and the R system do use a mechanical link from the lens' aperture to the camera's auto diaphragm lever.

 

Can R lenses be adapted, to be fully usable as manual focus lenses with aperture controlled from the body?

[Guest happytogger]

Those pics are horrible. Total fakes.

You can even see where different parts are different resolutions and/or focus.

 

 

Sigma Cum Laude Home page has said his photos were collages.

He has skill in his engineering of R mounts.

 

Have you any such engineering skills on offer.

 

Have you used SD9 with an R lens.

Foveon's film like design is well known.

R lenses were designed for film.

 

(The world has too many arm chair critics ... quite horrible).

 

:

 

Though not full frame & only 2.4MP, Nikon D1H very weak AA filter & big pixels

which give analogue like oh so smooth tonal gradations

imo will give more pleasing output than the clinically digital 36MP chopped up monsters.

[andybarton]

 

Have you used SD9 with an R lens.

 

Have you?

 

I'd be interested to see what you've done with this combination.

[Ivan Muller]

We live in wonderful times and our options and choices just keep on getting better and better! The pixel wars race on and on and the competition just keeps on getting fiercer and fiercer!

 

Just take a deep breath, relax and remember all cameras are just tools, and the one that made you happy man and a good photographer yesterday will do the same today......

 

But boys will be boys, so we love our toys, and as they say he who has the most - and best- wins!

 

 

so this new nikon tool is great news, we can hate it, love it, call it irrelevant, big and bulky, too much this and too little that, some of us will want it, some wont, some will call it the new bench mark and some of us that have leicas and canons wont etc etc but in the end it will influence all future cameras and discussions......even the leica ones.....

[mmradman]

 

Can R lenses be adapted, to be fully usable as manual focus lenses with aperture controlled from the body?

 

Dirk,

 

On a budget of a mere mortal answer is no but if price if no object everything is possible.

 

Some constraints; on R lenses aperture ring rotates in opposite direction from the F lenses.

 

When you press external depth of field aperture lever on R camera lever inside lens mount goes clockwise along the internal contour of the mount (orientation - looking into the camera mount) while on F camera it goes from up to down tangentally (direction is anticlockwise).

 

Providing aperture rotation can be reversed on R lens than perhaps if would be possible to convert R lens into Ai-S type. I am guessing this would require brand new aperture blades assembly, not DIY job IMHO but please prove me wrong. Alternative is to change aperture control mechanism on F/D camera which would perhaps be even more complicated.

Edited November 25, 2011 by mmradman

[menos I M6]

Thanks for the info Mladen!

 

So the R lens aperture linkage works on the same principle, like the Nikon F mechanics, just in a different orientation.

 

One would have to remove the R-lens linkage then and build a linkage, that translates the mechanical Auto aperture linkage to the Nikon F movement in the mount.

 

There is no need, to reverse the direction of the aperture ring.

For automatic operation, one would just have to stop down the lens to it's smallest aperture, and let the camera's aperture mechanic take over control.

I would love, to play around with an R lens in a shop - probably finding one, to play at one occasion.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[ho_co]

Dirk, I think the Leica diaphragm actuator has about twice the throw of the Nikon one.

 

And on both the R and the pre-G series Nikkor lenses, the actuator moved far enough to allow the lens to stop down completely. So how far the lens actually stopped down was controlled completely by the aperture ring.

 

Remember also that the flange-to-film distance is quite similar between the two lines, so there isn't much space to build any more mechanism to couple an R lens to a Nikon body.

 

I think a conversion to full diaphragm coupling would be practically impossible. Even if it were possible, metering would have to be done at working aperture because the aperture transmitting mechanisms are quite different between the two.

 

My 2¢ worth.

[roydonian]

Breaking News - First Images of The Nikon D800

 

It’s certainly an ugly-looking brute! My M9-P is sitting on my desk at the moment, and comparing it unfavourably with the on-screen image of the Nikon brought to mind the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi:

 

“This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age… Before the dark times... before the Empire.”

 

May the force of Barnack be with you.

 

Doug