I want to have my LC1 sensor and internals replaced, does anyone know how to do that?

[bigscarypuppy]

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What I really want to do is buy a newer panasonic camera, such as the GF3, and put all of it's internals into my LC1. Is this process even possible?

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[JeTexas]

If you have enough space in the case, I assume it would be possible, but it would be major surgery.

[mmradman]

What I really want to do is buy a newer panasonic camera, such as the GF3, and put all of it's internals into my LC1. Is this process even possible?

 

Providing donor camera is smaller than LC1 everything is possible, be prepared to accept loss in case of damage during the surgery.

 

I suspect crux of your question is who can do this.

[bigscarypuppy]

Providing donor camera is smaller than LC1 everything is possible, be prepared to accept loss in case of damage during the surgery.

 

I suspect crux of your question is who can do this.

 

Yes, that is the crux of my question...Does anyone know of a contact/source that can do this? I understand that I may lose both camera's if the surgery gets botched.

[mmradman]

Usually projects like this are preserve of DIY enthusiasts.

You could start by fishing for ideas by google search, few links to start you off..

 

 

[JeTexas]

I think the hard part would be aligning the new sensor to be the precise distance it needs to be from the flange. That could mean making new brackets to hold the board and sensor in place in the old camera. Other than that it's just soldering buttons and ports.

[bigscarypuppy]

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This is a great start! Many thanks.

[dugby]

If your LC1 is still working..... don't waste a great camera.

 

I've always been an advocate of the original Digilux-1 / LC5 as being a great starting donor for such a project that you are thinking of..

 

The D1 has the benefit of an optical viewfinder that most Leica users still desire.

[giordano]

I think the hard part would be aligning the new sensor to be the precise distance it needs to be from the flange. That could mean making new brackets to hold the board and sensor in place in the old camera.

 

You wouldn't need to do this unless you were going to retain the original lens - and in order to do that you'd need to make the circuitry from the donor camera drive the original shutter, aperture and focus mechanisms. That's an enormously bigger challenge than simply fitting the entire works of a newer smaller camera into the LC1 body.

 

BTW, on the LC1/Digilux 2, as on most small-sensor fixed-lens digital cameras, the sensor is attached to the back of the lens and not to the body.

[Riley]

What I really want to do is buy a newer panasonic camera, such as the GF3, and put all of it's internals into my LC1. Is this process even possible?

 

no go Im afraid, GF3 are 43rds sensor, LC1 is 2/3" sensor, vastly different sizes.

http://www.photozone.de/images/3Technology/images/formats2.gif

almost nothing of the LC1 would be reusable; not the lens, EVF, LCD etc

 

what you need to find to be in any way persuasive is a 2/3" sensor camera or close, that could at least use the original lens in manual focus mode. There are some Fuji sensors that close to fit this size, otherwise its back to 2/3".

 

The importance of the sensor size limitation is highlighted here, as said earlier the sensor is fitted to the back of the LC1 lens

 

 

Ideally a camera that uses an EVF, that you can later install in the LC1 body. You are unlikely to find one that has a shutter speed dial, I guess that becomes a future 'mode' dial. Almost all the buttons and controls would have to be remoted off the donor camera, this in itself while not impossible is a lot of work.

[dhsimmonds]

One of the attractions of the LC1 and D2 design is the perfect match of lens to sensor. Any change in configuration would destroy that "magical" marriage in my view.

 

It is now an old design and digital technology has moved forward. It is still capable of producing wonderful images though, so use it and accept it's limitations.