Latest M news

[Guest guy_mancuso]

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Bob have not heard the the facts on the WB and where that may sit on the M8, so this can prove interesting.

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Bob Ross]

Isn't the aperture set on the lens itself? Unless the metering system of the M8 is not aperture priority or something completely different I don't see anything preventing me from mounting my KM lens onto the M8.

Albert, I interpreted your "KM" as Konica Minolta and posted as a jest:o The "KM" lenses as in Konica Minolta AF lenses do not have aperture settings on the barrel.

Leica has said that M mount lenses will work and that they will work better with the coding, but that only Leica lenses can be coded. If it is only for EXIF information, I can live without it. If it helps process the dark corners from sensor fall off for lenses beyond the core correction range of focal lengths, I'll have to examine my shooting style to see if I need it.

[ho_co]

I am confused: if you send your lens in and they give you a "new rear lens mount," do you mean that it's more than just the etching? If so, will the lens continue to be useable on the film Leica's? (I can't imagine they won't, but just checking to make sure I understand.)

 

Replacement bayonet ring with milled depressions that are then painted and read by the digital camera. There is no change in the lens mount other than the 6-bit coding, and the lens will still work fine on previous cameras. (See Leica's press release on the topic.)

 

In addition, older lenses will work find on the digital M without conversion. Conversion adds the ability to do exif encoding. Guy says his birdy told him it will do more, but that would mean that vignetting info etc would have to be stored in firmware, which would then have to be updated with the introduction of each new lens. Still, 6 bits allows up to 64 different values, and that's a lot more than needed just to key the focal length.

 

Good to speculate, though. Even though most of what we guess will be wrong, we can later still say "You read it here first!" <g>

 

By the way, conversion in US is USD125 per lens and will start mid September according to Leica Technical Services today.

 

--HC

[marknorton]

I think new Leica lenses introduced after the M8 will come with a firmware update, either downloaded from the internet or a small capacity SD card shipped with the lens to update the camera with the new lens information.

[cbretteville]

If so, will the lens continue to be useable on the film Leica's? (I can't imagine they won't, but just checking to make sure I understand.)

Stepen,

All Leica M lenses produced from now on will have the updated mount according to Leica, so yes they will be work the same way thay always have on the Ms we already have.

 

- Carl

[marknorton]

...which will raise the interesting question of what happens to lenses already in the supply chain?

[Guest zebra]

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They are in the supply chain. If your local dealer has one it is his decision to "upgade" or not.

 

Constantin

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Mark a big sale and a price increase after July 1st

[graham_mitchell]

Guy, thanks for 'squawking'