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Sinar and Leica BFF now

robmac

Well-known member
No matter what Leica does/doesn't do - the added pressure between C & N and now from the MFDB entry kits, while it may (wisely IMHO) stop Leica (and maybe others) from venturing forth into the DSLR valley, WILL mean better options for all of us.
 

jaapv

Subscriber Member
Sinar uses Dalsa , Leica uses Kodak now who will win this contract. Good news(maybe) but i want to hear the road map and who is going to do what.

What this does not tell is how much they will partner on one or many projects and products . Not excited until I hear any real news what is going to happen down the road.
Stephan Daniel made a pretty firm commitment to Kodak as preferred sensor supplier last weekend.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
That is good news Jaap . i said that to him in Germany last June is not to go elsewhere that I really liked the Kodak sensors. I have one in the MF back and very similar to the DMR and M8 in look. I just like there sensors some like the Dalsa. I just hope things work out for them , they been bashed to death over the last 18 months and i am tired of reading about it and hearing about bad service stuff. i won't even post anymore on the threads about this problem or whatever. I did my part to help but unless someone needs help I just stay out of those 12 page threads on how it does not work in a war, damn guy is lucky to be alive , screw the camera's. I would just be happy to have some great images and go home. But that's me
 
M

matmcdermott

Guest
That is good news Jaap . i said that to him in Germany last June is not to go elsewhere that I really liked the Kodak sensors. I have one in the MF back and very similar to the DMR and M8 in look. I just like there sensors some like the Dalsa. I just hope things work out for them , they been bashed to death over the last 18 months and i am tired of reading about it and hearing about bad service stuff. i won't even post anymore on the threads about this problem or whatever. I did my part to help but unless someone needs help I just stay out of those 12 page threads on how it does not work in a war, damn guy is lucky to be alive , screw the camera's. I would just be happy to have some great images and go home. But that's me
I stopped chiming in on all those posts too. Am enjoying life much more. It gets to be too much convincing people that something's working very well for your needs if its not for theirs.
 

Terry

New member
Well,
I actually think NJ service is improving. My lens came back before scheduled. I just got a note from Joan earlier today and her D2 went in for service about a week after our NY meet up in May. 4-6 weeks was the estimate and she was notified that it is now on its way back to her.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I have been hearing those reports also. Like to see it get to 99 percent on the good side, so hopefully it will get better yet
 

jaapv

Subscriber Member
I would think this news is excellent for R users. If the R10 is indeed going to be a semi-MF camera the association with Sinar can do nothing but good. It could be just the thing to get some speed in the project again.
I wonder if this heralds aquisitions by Leica to get needed expertise. ACM could, I guess, easily afford to buy Jenoptik, merge with the sections that are interesting for Leica and sell the rest on. Nice additions for the Leicapark:cool:
 

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Jack
Hi Jono:

I still have a full M8 system, though am shedding one of my extra bodies. All the gear is my own as I have no Leica permanent loaners -- we only get that gear just prior to each workshop and have to return it immediately afterward. The M8 remains my preferred camera for street and travel, which I hope to be doing even more of in the coming years :) While digital MF is the cat's meow for landscape, product and studio, it is a bit of a chunk to carry for travel shots. I can and have done it, but prefer the smaller cameras for those venues.
Glad to hear that you're still using it - I need some lens rationalisation, bu the two bodies stay, still just as enjoyable as ever.
But FTR, I would carry the Mamiya outfit before a pro-size DSLR like the 1Ds3 or D3 -- IMO they are just too close in weight and size so might as well have all the benefits of the MF outfit.

Cheers,
I anguished long and hard about this one. Trouble is that I sometimes do weddings, and events like the jazz concert in a badly lit church jazz concert in badly lit church Most of which was shot between 5000 and 6400 ISO. For this sort of stuff neither the Leica nor an MFDB will do the business. I really couldn't afford to do both the D3 AND an MFDB, so the D3 got it - I'm hoping that the upcoming 24mp body with the zeiss lenses will go someway to consoling me for not having medium format. Time will tell!
 

Hank Graber

New member
Stephan Daniel made a pretty firm commitment to Kodak as preferred sensor supplier last weekend.
I think he said because of the specialized Kodak developed microlenses needed for the M that the M would continue to use Kodak sensors.

On the R front Leica is in a tough spot. When the DMR came out the DSLR market was as dull as dishwater. Your choices where Canon, Canon or a Canon. It's a whole new world now. Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Sony all have great DSLR's on the market. The D3 was a game changer and Sony looks to be dead serious about being a major player. The A700 control layout is exemplary and the Zeiss 24-70 is a killer lens. I'm looking forward to the A900. Add to that MF kits going for close to 10 grand and it doesn't leave much room for a high priced R unless Leica pulls a rabbit out of it's butt.

I would guess they will try and occupy the space between the Canon 1Ds and the Mamiya ZD. They are better equiped to produce a studio camera then a PJ camera. But if the 25MP Sony hits the market at well under $5K with Zeiss lenses, well I don't know where that leaves the 1Ds class.
 

robsteve

Subscriber
I am not so sure about the new Sony. There has been lots of talk about it, but no sample images. Their proposed specs may be a tougher nut to crack than they thought.

On the lens front, the Sony/Zeiss lenses may be better than some of the Canon lenses, but the modern Leica R lenses probably have the best overall image quality as a group from 15mm to 800mm.

Robert
 

robsteve

Subscriber
You have to give Leica credit for their first effort in digital, the DMR. I doubt any other manufacturer can say they sold all they could make :) If the R10 a leap in image quality over the DMR it will probably sell out too.

Robert
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
This thread started with the Leica/Jenoptik announcement. Who will do what is completely vague (probably that's the way both partners like it). But Leica has made considerable progress in mastering the M8's firmware. For example, it looks to me as if Leica is responsible for the vignetting corrections when UV/IR filter correction is enabled, and the AWB code that appeared in 1.201. My reasoning is circumstantial -- the two sets of vignetting correction have almost no communication between them, as if the second routines were written by people who preferred not to depend on anything in the first. I'm a bit puzzled by what it might be that they are doing now instead of delivering the promised SDHC support, but it may be related to the surprises promised for Photokina.

scott
 

PeterA

Well-known member
I sold all my R gear a couple of months ago - I am glad I did because today it would be worth even less. In a one camera/system world a good argument can be made for a something like an updated DMR. However, it isnt a one camera world.

as indicated above there are many many choices in the 35mm DSLR universe now. Differentiating by brand name is no longer enough as basic file delivery is accomplished pretty well by many alternatives in 35mm land.

the cost of climbing the digital learning curve has been high for all early adopters. I just came across an invoice for my 1dsmk1 Canon dating back a few years now- it cost me $15,000AUD. I think canon et al have had a very good run propagating the benefits of their tiny chips and high megapixels - that run has come to an end and the 35 chip market is a more like a commodity market now. Prices are going lower and lower from here - which is good news for everyone

I think MFD is where 35mmDSLR's were around the time of the introduction of the Canon mk11. Prices are going to come down in MFD and are already. All good for photographers.

I am happy with my M8/D3/11-39 combo - probably dont need the D3 either. Shooting with a 39 megapixel camera makes a lot of 35mm lenses redundant - because of how much cropping you can do and still get an awesome typically sized print.

I think a full frame M series camera with decent 800ISO is far more interesting than another me too DSLR - even if you add the Leica nutz biases and prejudices which spill over whenever another red dot something comes out.
 
T

Theo

Guest
With a German partnership of this quality and level, I think all we have to do is sit back and let them get to work. I am sure that the result- even if it does take one or even two years- will be well worth the wait..
Theo
 
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