24MP, 35% Qe (sure, the D7000 and most newer cameras reach close to 50, but hey...), an almost Kodak-like color filter response (also very like the old Nikon D2x and the original 5D, but with a colder green, makes for excellent color separation - but also lots of metamerism faults in anything but sunlight conditions).
It also - maybe most importantly - has an angle response kicking the butt of most anything out there. Bleedthrough (color vignettes) and losses at F1.4 angles less than -12% (-1/6Ev) - that's five times better than the 5D2 sensor, for instance.
DR slightly less than 12Ev, very good for a CCD sensor. Limited at 3fps - not a problem for this type of camera. Read noise good enough to give it the same performance at ISO1600 as the M9 at ISO800, with large aperture lenses.
Just a though, now that the board is 50/50 between speculations of equipment we hope will arrive in the future, and reviews of equipment old enough to be my siblings.
The only "other" customer base I could envision is specialized field cameras with lens mounts for Nikon. There are a few out there, but not many. Mostly in the production surveillance field - but why go 36x24 there? At F5.6-8.0, where most PS kits live, there's not much use for a sensor like this. Any high-res APS will do just as well - at a very much lower price point, with better availability.
If it is for the M10, it's too bad it want get LiveView as having that option would allow for more practical uses of the system where rangefinders might normally not be so suitable.
I wonder if the old Kodak digital sensor group (which is now owned by a private equity firm) got (or will get) a shot at developing something for Leica.
Interesting. I didn't know that Teledyne bought Dalsa. Just looked it up. Apparently it happened just last month. I wonder if that will lead to investment in their imaging sensors for photographic purposes? Or is Teledyne just interested in Dalsa's MEMS business and will let the imaging sensor stuff whither? Another competitive sensor manufacturer couldn't hurt.
Considering the strong possibility that Leica would stick with Kodak for their sensor, maybe this sensor is for the long-rumoured digital Zeiss Ikon...
No live-view makes it kind of hard to go to for those of us that love accurate framing, but if they do the rest of the electronics right (aka: no slow as "#% card reading, no lo-res screen etc), the camera will be good
Very interesting info. Sounds promising! The M10 is on my shopping list if it materializes early next year. I personally don't mind the lack of LV as I'm pretty used by now to framing quite well with the RF, except for lenses with MFD lesser than 70cm like my ZM 25.
Live view on a Leica rangefinder is definitely outside the conventional M design philosophy, but it could really open up the uses of the camera, making it convenient for macro, tabletop, architecture, etc.
It would be pretty funny to see someone holding an M at arm's length taking people pics, though....
I think it's rather for the industrial cameras like the ones JAI, Avigilon, Lumenera, etc., for mainly survey and monitoring applications. The sensor in concern has a limited SNR of around 70dB which is not different than the KAF10500 (the one on the M8). I do not believe that Leica would opt the CCD route again as the new APS-C sensors (DXO rating) are claiming dynamic ranges better than the Phase One IQ180 or color depth of 24 bits and ISO6400 has become norm for 2012. Multi-engined processor units, carbon-fiber shutters capable of 400K actuations are offered and I am sure the guys at Solms are following these carefully.
Smiert Spionam wrote:
Live view on a Leica rangefinder is definitely outside the conventional M design philosophy, but it could really open up the uses of the camera, making it convenient for macro, tabletop, architecture, etc.
Those are exactly the sort of uses it would open up. That would expand their market greatly because a lot of potential buyers would then rationalize the purchase.
Im looking eager for what will be in Leica M10 and hoping that all M9 users will buy it.
So I can finaly get M9.
Otherwise, M10 with LiveView would be.. well strange, but definitely super-useful, cause it would be in fact first full-frame mirrorless.
LiveView is possible with CCD, problem is heat from sensor. Depends on design kinda, I think that today it might be evolved enough to allow this.
Btw. Sony APS-C CCD cameras had LiveView, so its possible. It was bit quirky (90% view only), but it worked.. Current Phase One backs have "something like LiveView".
I think that for checking focus for not much moving or slow moving objects, even slow LiveView (10 FPS or so) would be ok.
No matter how I like Leica and CCDs, I think that M10 with regular LV and Sony/Samsung CMOS sensor would be better.
Tariq Gibran wrote:
Those are exactly the sort of uses it would open up. That would expand their market greatly because a lot of potential buyers would then rationalize the purchase.
It would open the system to a huge range of 3rd party non rangefinder lenses. I don't think it would greatly expand Leica's market because the camera will still be very expensive. It will provide more options for camera buyers not to buy Leica lenses. I guess it's Leica's call, since I don't expect any other manufacturer to standardize on the M mount for a new digital camera instead of creating their own to lock in lens sales. That's not to say I wouldn't like to see a live view magnified focus assist option in the M10...
Well, if it's got a decent live view, it could use R lenses, and just about anything else. Imagine the Sony NEX focus peaking in a Leica body. Helluva camera. It might never happen, precisely because it dilutes the singular buy-in of the Leica system, but it would be formidable.
I don't really see how offering Live View would threaten Leica lens sales as those who buy them are not likely going to go for something less and if they were, there are already plenty of alternative M lens options out there - Zeiss ZM, CV, etc.
