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Upgradeable?


FredR

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Well, since the "new sensor" is vaporware, there's no way to tell.  I'd guess, though, with the experience now of twenty years of digital cameras in general, and specifically in the Leica line the M8, M9, and M240 that have few or no electronics parts that interchange, it'll be a pretty safe conjecture that the current model M240 will likely not be retro upgradable.  IIRC, Sigma or someone actually built a camera that was upgradable...  the shutter and lens component had a changeable back (or, I suppose the back had interchangeable lenses mounted on the front body half.   I don't think it stayed in development after the first iteration.  

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You can't just upgrade a sensor.... the CPU and memory need to be there to support it. The amount of data that comes of a 50MP frame in one photo for example is massive. The other issue is high ISO require significant assistance from the processor to obtain a low noise shot with good quality colour.

The sensor, CPU and software all has to be built to work together.

Edited by Mornnb
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Well, since the "new sensor" is vaporware, there's no way to tell. I'd guess, though, with the experience now of twenty years of digital cameras in general, and specifically in the Leica line the M8, M9, and M240 that have few or no electronics parts that interchange, it'll be a pretty safe conjecture that the current model M240 will likely not be retro upgradable. IIRC, Sigma or someone actually built a camera that was upgradable... the shutter and lens component had a changeable back (or, I suppose the back had interchangeable lenses mounted on the front body half. I don't think it stayed in development after the first iteration.

I think it was Ricoh

Had a 28 2.8 module

A 24-70 equivalent module and a M mount APSC sized sensor module. module

 

I remember seeing it at the PMA show in Melbourne - i remember there being an extension cable to seperate the back and sensor modules, a printer and projector modules too.

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The DMR for the Leica R 8/9 Series was the ideal solution, an interchangeable back: Film or Digital.  It took about 60 seconds to make the swap  in the field. It really was an engineering marvel.

 

shame it didn't continue on   

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I think anything like this is not really viable with packaging and design integration today. There will always be a compromise but doubt the value balance makes economic sense for Leica or customer

 

However adding functions to a paired down model makes some sense and choosing build options too

Edited by IWC Doppel
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The DMR for the Leica R 8/9 Series was the ideal solution, an interchangeable back: Film or Digital.  It took about 60 seconds to make the swap  in the field. It really was an engineering marvel.

 

shame it didn't continue on   

It was certainly an innovative solution.  Not so sure I'd characterize it as ideal though.  It necessitated a 1.3x crop factor, increased the size and weight significantly (compared to a non-motordriven R8) and if one wanted to shoot film and digital simultaneously one still was better of with a second body. 

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In Leica digital M240 cameras, are the most important electronic components that become obsolete capable of being easily replaced with next generation parts (e.g., the sensor)?  

 

Fred (film shooter)

 

While it would be a great idea, it would also be like swapping the engine and suspension in your current car for the next generation. Do-able but at great cost and inconvenience.

 

Somewhere else on the forum the same question was asked and one of the answers was that it might come down to the mounting points for the new sensor and motherboard might be different to the mounting points for the current sensor and motherboard.

 

Even now, try and get the buffer on an M240 upgraded form 1GB to the 2GB of the M-P, and that should be an easer upgrade. 

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The DMR for the Leica R 8/9 Series was the ideal solution, an interchangeable back: Film or Digital.  It took about 60 seconds to make the swap  in the field. It really was an engineering marvel.

 

shame it didn't continue on   

I must confess I never reconfigured my DMR for film. I have plenty of film bodies, it is simply not worth the hassle.

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The camera will be good for parts at some (not too distant) point in the future.  Follow the sticker and use a recycling centre, not a trash bin.

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The camera will be good for parts at some (not too distant) point in the future.  Follow the sticker and use a recycling centre, not a trash bin.

 

Sad but true...Digital Leica cameras ...like computers ......no matter how well build ......will be obsolete as new technology  replaces the previous model..... quicker than quick .....Isn't it called "Moores Law" ?

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I hope your right...But I can see a really great sensor and firmware .....a processor ......"Leica"color profiles that will blow away todays 240....Don't get me wrong I love love using the my 240, but the future of electronics moves in leaps and bounds..... 10 years is a long time for anything digital......don't you think? 

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I hope your right...But I can see a really great sensor and firmware .....a processor ......"Leica"color profiles that will blow away todays 240....Don't get me wrong I love love using the my 240, but the future of electronics moves in leaps and bounds..... 10 years is a long time for anything digital......don't you think?

Well, I have no problems showing prints from my DMR next to those of the M240 (if anything, the colours of the DMR are better), nor those of the M8 (in B&W only surpassed by the Monochroms); even the low-MP and rather noisy Digilux2 still shines by virtue of its lens. Those leaps and bounds result, it seems, only in marginal progress in the appreciation of the final images.

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"Those leaps and bounds result, it seems, only in marginal progress in the appreciation of the final images."

 

You are 100% correct!  ​I can see myself using the 240 a long long time.

 

I guess my thought came from when Hasselbad/Imicon changed it's color profile after a year...it was like a different camera ......it went from bad to great over night.......but that was a long time ago

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