Yes, that spreadsheet pretty much sums up what I did with my own little piece of cross referencing. Sean Reid on his good website (
www.reidreviews.com) just tonight posted a very positive review of the Milich GT adapter which is apparently milled in fine brass to accommodate both M and screw mount Rangefinder lenses on the G1. The article points out what appears to have been a very much overlooked possibility of the 4/3rds and, more to the point, now, the micro 4/3rds (referred to as MFT by Reichman and Reid) and that is with the smaller lens mount due to no longer needing a mirror box a wealth of lenses become available at the outset via adapters like from Milich, Novoflex, Cameraquest and others. Something Panasonic (and I presume Olympus as well) must have known. And the trees are already beginning to bear fruit (just re-read some of the exciting posts here).
It is astounding to me how, in so many of the reviews I'd read, while praising some of the G1's technical prowess (like Pop Photo's key tests of resolution, color accuracy, low ISO noise etc.) some have warned against buying this camera until MORE lenses are made available. The kit lens, as many on this forum (myself included) have observed is simply amazing for a 'kit' lens. Reichman in Luminous Landscape was blown away by it's sharpness and contrast (aside from its ability to win him over for simply being more preferable to tote around over a boulder-like highly obtrusive DSLR and its behemouth glass. And Panasonic has promised (which I'd no doubt) other lenses to come, which with Leitz as a mentor and partner, even if designed on their own by Panasonic, would be worthy pieces of optical engineering as the kit lens has already demonstrated.
But, aside from the kit lens, which in an of itself is a fine place keeper until more MFT lenses are made available by Panasonic, Olympus and Sigma (to name three but I"m wondering if Leitz, CV and Zeiss will get into the fray here) the amazing thing is that Panasonic through a 4/3's adapter of their own make immediately made available (albeit with manual focusing) the entire arsenal of superbly gushed over Zuiko lenses some of which are stellar light giants of a solid f2.0 over their entire zoom range (and with, not surprisingly, equally jaw dropping price tags to match). And within months (the camera was announced in September and came to market in November) a number of players announced M, Nikon and adapters for other mounts.
What other new camera system has so quickly garnered such interest among so many adapter makers in so short a time?
Yet the many of the reviews sniffed about the 'dearth' of lenses. Hardly.
Finally, one more thing to add. Many of the reviews, again albeit positive for the most part, also complained about the introductory price of $800 (okay $799 but we're splitting hairs here) as being too high. When a 'comparable' DSLR' could be had for the same price (albeit bigger and bulkier). Their point being marques like Canon and Nikon et al had a slew of lenses available.
To a point they're right. But considering what's unfolding so quickly as Reid (and myself included) have pointed out, the G1 may turn out to be the photographic bargain of the new century. A $800 body of robust design and skillful image making which promises to be able to use lenses going back to the 1930's with no problem. And a superb focusing system using a very fine EFT and focusing patch that makes fine focus with these optical gems very possible, particularly in low light work wide open, which I'm sure most will employ anyways since that's what we want these optics of Leitz, Zeiss and others for anyway (and together with the low noise and high resolution at ISO 100-400 makes for a deadly combination).
And how many modern digital cameras at any price can claim that.
Peter