Time for Digilux 4

[Riley]

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Im giving it a serious look

 

I've acquired a Contax C/Y 18/4 Distagon MMJ, preliminary measurements determine that I should have to shave 0.3mm from the mirror to avoid colliding with the rear optic, but I shall see when an adapter finally arrives sometime in the next week, the lens arrived this last week.

 

The knowledge base has it that It might have been easier with an AE type Distagon, but they dont have the more digital friendly coatings of the MMJ. Once that is completed, I can look at a more serious FC Adapter.

 

I also have a Contax C/Y 28-70 Vario Sonnar in stream pretty much for the hell of it. When I get done with this, it might be time to look at some Contax N lenses for conversion to EOS AF. Last time I looked, a guy had a Contax 17-35 N converted to EOS AF for sale on ebay for $3,600. Meanwhile being entertained by patching up an issue with my Metz 54 MZ3, its all happening out here in the den of inequity

Edited July 18, 2009 by Riley

[rsolomon]

what about just using an R to 4/3rds and go with Olympus..... seems to me the easiset and a very solid solution..... hence the title of the thread ..

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[Riley]

what about just using an R to 4/3rds and go with Olympus..... seems to me the easiset and a very solid solution..... hence the title of the thread ..

 

well as you might recall I have an E3 as well, thing is alternate lenses are for some reason a bit hit and miss on Oly bodies in my experience. For one thing, almost every lens you can think of will be quite aways from WA and only cover the telephoto region of FL. Oly lenses have MTF values measured in the 20/60 as opposed to 10/30 for FF, their lenses really do need to be twice as good to operate sharply. While for your own purposes that might be ok, it isnt a position that will win favour with everyone.

 

Then there are practical issues like the OVF, only really E3, E30, E1, and to a lesser extent E620 have larger OVFs that can adequately use MF lenses, E3 being by far the best. Of course both L1 and Digilux 3 have focus confirmation, but the OVF is such that they really need it. And remember that the DoF circumstances are such that, the DoF is half what it would be on FF bodies, making it doubly tricky as DoF can end up absolutely razor thin.

 

That said, you can get focus confirm adapters for 4/3rds mount, if you feel that would be successful, I can say that in all likelihood primes would be more successful than zooms, and fast primes are always fun. As an example I have a Konica 57/1.2 that is quite fun to use on E3 used without an adapter, and a K mount 135 thats a lot of fun too. But I have found that fun is one thing, and work I get paid for is another mission.

 

135/2.8

Konica 57/1.2

[lct]

what about just using an R to 4/3rds and go with Olympus..... seems to me the easiset and a very solid solution..... hence the title of the thread ..

Second what Riley said above. Reminds me of our old discussions about respective merits of full frame and half frame in terms of creativity BTW . Anyway, the title of the thread refers to the Digilux 4. Why wouldn't the latter's sensor be larger than half frame? Why not APS for instance? I would prefer FF of course but i doubt that Panny will go that large right now. But they could well want to compete with the next APS Samsung dont you think so? Just a question.

[Riley]

I think mFT is a different situation, but it is a container of the same issues.

 

As far as Pany and Samy go, the race is to the bottom in way, and that means all things small. It wont take Pany long to see this and follow, and you can bet mFT #3 from Pany will be a small body. In this environment there wont be that much of a noticeable advantage to using APS, but it will hold handicaps against being an ultimately larger body and lenses. And besides that mFT will by then have 5 bodies in the field and 6 lenses minimum, that will prove far more compelling for the market.

 

While people are finding mFT fun with exotic primes, it will be for the consortium to provide the WA glass, b/se it cannot be accessed from elsewhere in useful FL's. So I still wouldnt consider mFT as a good vehicle for R mounts, excepting occasional use. But it will be advantaged by an inherently better ability to MF due to the EVF (where it has one).