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What's Leica thinking with the R to Digilux adapter?


johnastovall

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Sony has just presented new cameras at Photokina.

 

It is likely a new 35mm full-frame camera with Zeiss lenses will arrive in 2008:

 

ThePhotoStation.net - New Alpha DSLR's - Powered by PhotoPost

 

I hope Leica is working hard on the new R digital.

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The new high-end Sony camera:

 

PMA 07 Breaking! Sony Alpha Flagship: First Pics - Gizmodo

 

And and a new "amateur" model:

 

Breaking! PMA 07: Sony Alpha Protoype, First Pics of 'High Amateur' Model - Gizmodo

 

The war has started:

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Big news on the Sony stand is the announcement of two additions to the Alpha digital SLR range, though details are sketchy, to say the least. There are a couple of mock-up models on show, behind glass, but we're told that these are far from being close to final production designs. The two SLRs announced today are a high end amateur model that will sit above the A100 in the range (it is not a replacement for the current camera) and a professional body. Our contact at Sony couldn't give us any more detail on spec, timing or pricing, though they did confirm that only the first (the high end amateur model) will arrive this year (we're expecting to hear more in the fall). Both cameras will have new sensors (with Super Steady Shot stabilization) and enhanced Bionz processors.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/pma2007/Sony/

 

The pressure is growing in all the segments of the market.

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Haven't these been available from third parties for some time.

 

Indeed. 4/3 adapters are available for just about any 35MM SLR with a flange-to-focal plane distance of greater than 38.67mm, which is pretty much all of them. Personally, I have them for Nikon, Leica, Contax, Olympus, and Minolta lenses.

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i beleive it is to provide the R users who want a dedicated digital body another choice of camera body to exploit the lens and the investment.

 

as an R9 & DMR i can see buying a Digilux 3 to fill the gap between serious work and family shots while leverging the same lenses ....not bad . If this adpater allows for focus confirmation i will probably do this- i need it for the "around the house family shots". Another benefit is that with this adpater the Digilux 3 can compete with C, especially for those using leica glass.

 

This is why i think a FF R10 is NOT the best next step for the R line. The R line should stay as a highly professional level tool, not to be confused with C & N.

 

rich

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I really don't think this is anything to get excited about. If I read the Leica announcement correctly, metering is done at working aperture which I take to mean stop down instead of open aperture metering.

 

Open the lens up to focus, stop down before shooting; hardly leading edge and I was doing this with a $30 Meyer Orestor on a Praktica LTL in 1971. I do it now with some Tilt and Shift lenses but otherwise, it's out of the ark.

 

I suppose there may be some interest for existing R-lens owners who are keen to have a digital solution while waiting for the R10 but in the light of the competition, it's the photographic equivalent of Nero playing the violin while Rome burns.

 

As for that Sony, looks like an engineering prototype, and what a monster. Will certainly give Canon and (especially) Nikon something to think about, especially the tie-in with Zeiss.

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The Sony cameras have been in test for several months already.

 

As for the mount adapter, I agree without electronic link and focusing confirmation it'll always be a hit or miss ... especially with the tiny VF on a 4/3 cam. Leica should hire "happypagehk" on ebay to work on this.

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No wonder Canon are laughing all the way to the bank.

 

doubt it

Every new dSLR that appears takes sales away from the existing products

of course that means that Canon system products dont get a sale either

all the new entrants are doing their best to generate interesting well priced feature driven products.

 

Canon are spread between high end (low volume) and on the low end, the de-featured D400-XTi looks dull in comparison. Nothing to clap about there.

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I suggest there is another angle to this adaptor from Leica's perspective.....

 

Leica don't really want to see the metal fragments from the lesser quality adaptor's ending up in the mirror boxes of the consumer's D3 / L1

 

There are many user's (with other camera brands) on the web complaining of this issue with the cheaper adapters, where the manufacturers were not using high tensile steel on the metal interfaces.

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Anyone else think the Sony dSLR looks a damn sight like an OM in black ?

 

Well, it looks to me like an updated version of the Contax N Digital.

 

No wonder Canon are laughing all the way to the bank.

 

I don't think so. Canon was the only 35FF camera manufacturer. Sony has launched a message: we go for it too. That means war at the upper segments of the market. Moreover, Sony makes sensors for others, and this means Nikon will be able to play the same game as well. The war in the bottom of the market is moving to the zones in which Canon used to reign alone and happy (and Leica assumed would be a calm place to live too).

 

Now, read this from The Luminous Landscape, in the Sigma section of the PMA 07 report:

 

And, given some authoritative sounding rumours that I've been hearing, Foveon technology may end up in some non-Sigma high-end cameras that'll knock the socks off of a lot of people. (Hold onto your socks for about 6 more months though).

 

The DMR is out and Leica is working in the R10. I hope it will be presented soon with a 35FF Kodak sensor and the body of the R9 camera (I love it).

 

.

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