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What do you want in the next digital M?


IkarusJohn

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I want this camera, but I want it made by Leica.

Digital Rangefinder | Konost

 

Why do you want it made by Leica ? Is that because you like buggy firmware, slow operation, obsolete EVF, and random lockups ? :D

 

Anyways, I like the project. They seem to be using this sensor from CMOSIS:

http://www.cmosis.com/products/standard_products/cmv20000

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The M-A is the best Leica on the market at the moment.

 

Agreed. I've grown increasingly weary of the various permutations of digital M cameras and I have been distinctly unimpressed by the half-cocked M240 (the first digital M that I haven't been able to summon up sufficient enthusiasm to buy). The film bodies still represent long term value and the M-A is the perfect embodiment of an M camera.

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Agreed. I've grown increasingly weary of the various permutations of digital M cameras and I have been distinctly unimpressed by the half-cocked M240 (the first digital M that I haven't been able to summon up sufficient enthusiasm to buy). The film bodies still represent long term value and the M-A is the perfect embodiment of an M camera.

 

There's a lot of room for improvement with a digital body. We got a high res LCD and a sensor with better high ISO performance in the m249. Both features which help in getting the shot. But given the capabilities of Leica's lenses 24megapixels is well below their abilities. Given what Canon's lenses can achieve on 50 megapixels of the 5Ds, it would be nice to see Leica lenses on a 50 megapixel Leica body. The lens are sharp enough to provide a medium format level of detail on a Leica!

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Agreed. I've grown increasingly weary of the various permutations of digital M cameras and I have been distinctly unimpressed by the half-cocked M240 (the first digital M that I haven't been able to summon up sufficient enthusiasm to buy). The film bodies still represent long term value and the M-A is the perfect embodiment of an M camera.

 

 

You're just reigniting a digital vs. film debate that will go absolutely nowhere. There is frankly no such thing as a "perfect embodiment of an M camera" except in the eye of the beholder. I am happy the M-A is perfect for you. I am perfectly happy with my M(240) but recognize is not perfect and there is room for improvement. So what? It is capable of great images. The thing that I have that is truly far from perfect and keeps me from great images and has huge room for improvement is the matter between my ears. Nothing else really matters.

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Why do you want it made by Leica ? Is that because you like buggy firmware, slow operation, obsolete EVF, and random lockups ? :D

 

Anyways, I like the project. They seem to be using this sensor from CMOSIS:

CMV20000 CMOS image sensor - CMOSIS - CMOS Image Sensors

 

I love a challenge. Actually, I think some of the buggy firmware and other issues Leica have incurred come from putting too much into the camera. Simplify the electronics, get back to basics and a lot of those issues go away.

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How much slower would the M become then? Thanks no thanks.

 

It is an inevitability over the coming years and decades that a very high resolution Leica will be released as it's clear this is the direction the industry and other manufacturers are taking. The question is when, 2 years, 5, 10, 15?

But we shouldn't need to wait. SD cards come at up to 280 MB/s these days, the technology is actually there to handle a 50MP Leica M. The lenses are sharp enough, certainly the 50mm APO and 75mm APO.

However there is the question, is rangefinder accuracy up to the precise focus that such resolution requires?

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Would Leica really release an M with a higher MP count than the S?

 

Either way, they need to work on improving DR before upping the resolution.

 

I don't think we need 50mp either but then when cameras were at 10mp I said we didn't need 20mp.

But at some point there is no point to more mp, unless you are doing wall murals. Thus I agree that other improvments in the sensor are of more value than simply cramming more mp in the same space. Dynamic ranhe and usable high ISO are of more relevance day to day.

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However there is the question, is rangefinder accuracy up to the precise focus that such resolution requires?

For pixel peepers perhaps not but EVFs will still be there for them. The issue i was referring to has nothing to do with the rangefinder which has always been the forte of Leica and will probably remain so for a long time. When i see how slow M bodies can be with current sensors i am just concerned about their capacity to handle more pixels with decent performances and it is an understatement. I hope to be proved wrong of course but Leica has never been able to compete with leaders in electronics and i fear that the new CEO won't change this tomorrow if ever.

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I want this camera, but I want it made by Leica.

 

Digital Rangefinder | Konost

Why made by Leica if it delivers on all aspects. They are unlikely to be satisfied with 3 month turn around for repairs, may well have worked out how to prevent rusty sensors and not relying on previous heritage to sell. It will sell purely on merit and will have to withstand the obvious comparison.

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Why made by Leica if it delivers on all aspects. They are unlikely to be satisfied with 3 month turn around for repairs, may well have worked out how to prevent rusty sensors and not relying on previous heritage to sell. It will sell purely on merit and will have to withstand the obvious comparison.
Assuming they ever manage to get it to the market... Servicing vapourware is easy, one can manage a turnaround within minutes :D
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Why made by Leica...?

 

Glad you asked.

 

-Because after more than 30 years of Leica M experience, my hands have grown accustomed to the weight, feel and function of the M body. Nothing else satisfies me;

-Because I trust Leica to give me a camera with premium build quality;

-Because when there are problems, I trust Leica to correct them;

-Because I like the look of the M body;

-Because I like the image quality that results not only from Leica's choice of sensors, but from the image processors they develop and put in their cameras;

-Because Leica make the best rangefinder available

-Because I have an appreciation for a company that strives to make the absolute best product;

-Because when entering the digital arena, it would have been easy for Leica to abandon the M system and come out with an entirely new line of bodies and lenses, leaving those of us who had a nice collection of M lenses with nothing to put them on. Instead, they gave us the M8, a camera I still consider to be an engineering marvel. The M bodies that have come after that have all been significant improvements. I do not fault Leica for the current sensor situation. On the contrary, I commend Leica for going far beyond what is necessary to make it right.

-Finally, because I'm one of those people who is loyal to the brand. Leica products were with me through a long and rewarding career as a freelance photojournalist. I will be with Leica "to the death," either theirs or mine. I feel no shame whatsoever in admitting that.

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I'd like for a company like Sony/Fuji/Canon to buy Leica so they can design the next M with an up-to-date sensor, a good hybrid EVF, a decent inventory/distribution system and a service network that'll get a lens repaired without having to wait over 3 months (yes, that happened to me).

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You're just reigniting a digital vs. film debate that will go absolutely nowhere. There is frankly no such thing as a "perfect embodiment of an M camera" except in the eye of the beholder. I am happy the M-A is perfect for you. I am perfectly happy with my M(240) but recognize is not perfect and there is room for improvement. So what? It is capable of great images. The thing that I have that is truly far from perfect and keeps me from great images and has huge room for improvement is the matter between my ears. Nothing else really matters.

 

 

No, that's not the case at all. The point is that the M-A is perfect because it plays to Leica's strengths and there's nothing electronic to go wrong. Pure simplicity, and it should operate flawlessly for a very long time.

 

The problem I was identifying has nothing to do with film v digital, save for the fact that digital development is based on waste. Pointless waste in pursuit of bigger numbers we really don't need.

 

I cannot help but think of rare metals squandered and landfills poisoned by badly made electronics biffed because something "better" comes along.

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