I want someone to build this camera for me!

[BobYIL]

nice thought, Keith.
The problem with ff sensors is the need for retrofocus lenses. Manufacturers have tried to get around the problem (of oblique rays hitting the sensor) using offset microlenses.
What I want to see is a digital ff sensor that is curved in 3 dimensions (like a bowl) to allow a plane of focus that is equidistant from the lens exit element across its entire surface. That would enable existing M-lenses to focus accurately across the entire frame without the problems associated with oblique rays or work-arounds like offset microlenses.
That would be nirvana!

Having worked for Texas Instruments for IC and Darlington production I doubt that an efficient masking technology could be developed for spherical surfaces, especially for today's requirements of generally less than 1-micron resolution. Etching could be another substantial issue as depth is to be measured in reference to a plane.

Also, such a curved surface would work fine with lenses of over 45-50 degrees, but what about the teles?

I think this was one of the reasons why the major players were (apparently) cautious in jumping into the mirrorless sector; what the Nex-7 wrt the Nex-5N has pointed to: Offset microlenses seem to be the only solution and not a costly one; however they function well with CCD-cells but not so well with the CMOS.. Certainly there should be a R&D going on in regard to this issue.

Also, pure conventional designs might not work well on the CCD-microlenses too (Biogon 21/4.5 or Summilux 24/1.4 corner smearing or color shift issues.. ) The best design approach is from Fujifilm XP1, totally custom design with huge rear elements however they were to cover only APS-C format.

IMHO, there could be also another factor for this: The future full-size due to AF and size requirements could well be the APS-C size.. Today the APS-C can easily satisfy the ISO-6400 capability, resolution of 24MP (next year most certainly over 30MP) and the lens design for this format could be less problematic than the one for FF.. I think Leica too is working on this format for their future models, we might even see a concept camera in this Photokina. (AF is unavoidable for any company to survive.)

 

[Murchu]

Nice game. My fantasy camera is a back to basics one, something exactly like my Leica M3, only with a sensor instead of film. Top range, full frame sensor, with dynamic range like film, high resolution, and high iso performance. Marry that to a body no bigger than my M3, and don't give me anything else, other than a meter, ability to control aperture, shutter speed, iso and white balance, all with a viewfinder and build quality from a bygone age. Forget about the lcd, or any other incentive for me to tinker with settings, I will review pictures afterwards, and will plug the camera into my computer via usb to change settings. Settings could be allocated to a specific bank (A, B, C, D, etc), and a hard control on the body would allow you to switch between them as you wished. Think of it as the ability to change film on the fly.

Most of all, my fantasy would be for such a camera to be designed by a company like Ricoh, who are in the business (at least with their GR-D range) of designing and making cameras for photographers. This would be a serious machine for photographers, unpolluted with unnecessaries. In fact, would love if some lunatic at Leica was reading this, and saw that they could go with such a camera above, and maintain everything a lot of people like about Leica, while at the same time running a second range of rangefinders, where innovation would rule supreme with evf's, zoomable viewfinders, et al.

 

[lynnb]

thanks BobYIL, that's very interesting!

 

[Bobfrance]

I happy with my camera equipment but I would like to see a digital Mamiya 7ii with a 6x7 sensor and perhaps an X100 that takes film.*

Not a lot to ask is it? 🙂







*Obviously all for $1K or $1.5k for the two.

 

[gdi]

Slightly off topic😱

How about the digital holy grail for legacy camera body...?

The digital film cartridge that some startup in the late 80 or early 90 tried to do? The electronics was in the main cartridge and the sensor was on a thin strip across the shutter. The company went under before it came out with a prototype if I remember correctly. Later I heard a rumor it was all marketing...

Of course if u going to dream, it would be a full frame 35mm 40mpx😀

Gary

Complete with PCMCIA connector!
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2001/02/16/pma04#siliconfilm

 

[johannielscom]

My request: a digital back for my Rolleiflex 2.8F.

Same size as the 120 negative please. Interchangeable with the original back. Storage on SD-card. Battery pack at the rear, so it doesn't interfere with the bottom lock. Simple monochrome LCD at the back for settings only.

Should be pretty easy, since the shutter is a leaf shutter in the lens and does not require any coupling with the back. The back would only need two buttons to make it work with the lens: 'Record' and 'Save'

Anyone build me one? :angel:

 

[fireblade]

Full frame (24x36) digital ... sensor from the D700 would be fine.

Good usable ISO up to 6400 ... as per D700. ^^^

Electronic viewfinder ... like my OM-D. (you can focus it in the dark ~ incredible!)

In camera image stabilization ... like the OM-D.

Somewhere between the size of the D700 and the OM-D. (controls are a little squeezy on the OM-D and the Nikon is a tank)

Built tough ... like the Nikon. (already broke the viewfinder eyecup of the OM-D just getting it out of the camera bag for ****'s sake!)


Is this so much to ask?

the upcoming Fuji X pro 2 ?? 🙂

 

[gdi]

the upcoming Fuji X pro 2 ?? 🙂

He didn't list it, but he probably wants auto focus too!

 

[Keith]

He didn't list it, but he probably wants auto focus too!

No autofocus thanks ... I forgot to mention that!

I thought I was being a little ambitious but reading back through this thread ... maybe not so much! 😀

 

[Bobfrance]

My request: a digital back for my Rolleiflex 2.8F.

Same size as the 120 negative please. Interchangeable with the original back. Storage on SD-card. Battery pack at the rear, so it doesn't interfere with the bottom lock. Simple monochrome LCD at the back for settings only.

Should be pretty easy, since the shutter is a leaf shutter in the lens and does not require any coupling with the back. The back would only need two buttons to make it work with the lens: 'Record' and 'Save'

Anyone build me one? :angel:

I'd like that too, though I wouldn't like a bulky sensor protruding out of the back.

You can get the Rolleiflex 6008 with a digital back, which has always looked pretty nice to me.

 

[Sparrow]

... can I have a tripod that walks round behind me like a puppy? ... on a serious note

 

[jonasv]

... can I have a tripod that walks round behind me like a puppy? ... on a serious note

Yes. You need to have a library chair to go underneath it first, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UWwN6fFrU8

And you're sorta confined to the library for now.

 

[Sparrow]

Yes. You need to have a library chair to go underneath it first, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UWwN6fFrU8

And you're sorta confined to the library for now.

Well there you go ... the electric toothbrush started out as a joke in a Si-Fi novel

 

[jonasv]

Well there you go ... the electric toothbrush started out as a joke in a Si-Fi novel

Considering the fact that tripods have legs and you'd like to take them outdoors, you might also be interested in the walking table.

No motordrive available yet, I'm afraid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBOdZ6nhDJg

 

[gilpen123]

An RD2 with full frame 12 mp B&W only.

 

[Keith]

At least two years ago I brain stormed a conceptual Nikon Digital SP built around (obviously) a SP body with a D700 sensor. At this point in time I would update that dream to a D800 sensor and while dreaming, expect live view, too.

On a practical note, I could be happy with a Leica M9 with the IQ of the D700. I did a test recently of my D700 at ISO 12,800 and got files as good as, if not better than, my M8.2 at ISO 1250.

The sensor in the D700 is phenominal IMO. As good as the little OM-D is when I look closely at the Nikon's files they are quite a leap ahead ... which is to be expected!

 

[gdi]

No autofocus thanks ... I forgot to mention that!

I thought I was being a little ambitious but reading back through this thread ... maybe not so much! 😀

Ahh, then maybe an XPro 2 will fit your needs after all...

 

[gavinlg]

Ahh, then maybe an XPro 2 will fit your needs after all...

... Except it won't be full frame (35mm sized sensor).

 

[aleksanderpolo]

We can keep dreaming. But perhaps we can also partition Ricoh to bring out the FF M module. The A12 is their labor of love so I guess they have the least resistance to something along the line. It's hard to see how Fuji/Sony/Samsung/m4/3 would give up their current mirrorless lenses lineup and go for FF.

 

[GaryLH]

Complete with PCMCIA connector!
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2001/02/16/pma04#siliconfilm

Gdi

Yes thanks... It was silicon film I was thinking about

Gary