Leica SLR digital camera

[MP Guy]

At the Photokina 2004 photographic trade show in Cologne, Germany, Leica Camera AG of Solms, Germany, is going to present a digital solution for the Leica single lens reflex system: the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R. This new MODUL is being developed in cooperation with the Danish firm Imacon A/S and the Kodak Image Sensor Solutions (ISS) division. The LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R is a digital camera back designed to fit regular production LEICA R8 and R9 cameras. Because the two cameras are already designed to function with digital solutions, the new digital back will communicate with the camera’s controls, thus integrating seamlessly with the uncomplicated operation of the camera.

Core technical data plans call for a resolution of 10 million pixels (10 megapixels), image storage on SD cards, the use of a firewire interface and a low focal length extension factor of 1.37x. The LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R will consist of a digital back and a power supply unit. Available as an accessory, the compact MODUL can be attached to the camera quickly and easily. LEICA R8 and R9 cameras will thus become the world’s very first hybrid 35 mm cameras that can be used optionally for digital or analog photography. All the Leica R high-performance lenses can also be used for digital photography.

“Progress in sensor technology and image processing now makes it possible for us to offer a perfected digital solution at the level of quality that we demand. In keeping with a long established Leica tradition, we are offering a solution that does not depart from the system, but one that also constitutes a harmonious expansion for existing clients”, explains Stefan Daniel, manager of the System Products business unit. With Imacon A/S and Kodak ISS we have gained competent partners whose know-how in digital photography is relevant for the development of the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R.”

With the development of this accessory, having introduced the LEICA R9 at Photokina 2002, and combined with additional lens innovations, Leica Camera AG reasserts its commitment to the high-grade single lens reflex segment. “To us, the image is the primary consideration”, emphasizes the chief executive officer of Leica Camera AG Hanns-Peter Cohn. “The Leica R system stands for the very best optical quality and creative freedom. With the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R, this now applies to its application in digital photography as well”, adds Mr. Cohn.

In the development of the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R, the camera designers in Solms applied the same quality standards for imaging performance, mechanical precision and handling that were used for the cameras themselves. The software and the control of the digital back will be developed and produced by Imacon, based on the profile of Leica requirements. Over the years, the Danish partner has accumulated extensive experience in the field of professional digital photography and high-end scanners.

The sensor: The image sensor will consist of a 10 million pixel CCD sensor that is being developed and produced by Kodak ISS especially for the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R. The integration of the sensor into an existing camera concept requires that the sensor and its housing be positioned at the film gate of the LEICA R8 or R9 camera. That is why the active surface of the sensor is smaller than the area of the film gate. We succeeded in limiting the resulting focal length extension factor to a modest 1.37x. The pixels on the surface of the sensor, which measure 6.8 µm, were optimized for the stringent requirements of digital still camera applications. The effective imaging area of the sensors measures 26.4 x 17.6 mm and it encompasses 10 million picture elements. The range of sensitivity is to extend from ISO 100 to at least ISO 800. “Kodak selected this pixel structure and a special sensor solution in order to satisfy the high demands of photo enthusiasts regarding resolution, sensitivity and dynamic range”, comments Helen Titus, worldwide marketing manager for Kodak Image Sensor Solutions in Rochester, NY. “The pictorial results will meet the high quality standards that the market expects of Leica cameras and also of Kodak sensors”.

Operating concept: In addition to the quality of the resulting picture, the most important objective in the development of the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R is to provide the photographer with a solution that is as compact as possible, with a logical operating procedure. This means that the settings that are relevant for the exposure are easy to control by means of a clearly legible display and a setting dial, without having to use the menu guide on the color monitor. The functions that can be controlled directly by the photographer are, for example: the sensitivity setting, resolution, compression, white balance, self-timer, and exposure corrections (over-ride). The menu functions on the color monitor serve primarily for the configuration of the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R, such as setting the user profile, color management, or brightness and contrast of the color monitor.

Because of the functions that can be controlled directly during a picture-taking session by means of the setting dial, the content of the menu is minimal and it provides a clear overview.

Color monitor: The color monitor on the digital back is used for evaluating the images stored after the exposures: A histogram furnishes detailed information about the dynamics of the photograph, thus providing the possibility of a differentiated analysis of the pictorial result. An audio histogram signals over- and under-exposures acoustically: The photographer is assured of correct exposures while working continuously, without having to move the camera away from the eye.

Power will be supplied by a lithium-ion battery that is being developed especially for the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R.

The dimensions of the camera with an attached LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R and its power unit are similar to those of a LEICA R8 / R9 with an attached Motor-Drive R. This is approximately equivalent to (width x height x depth) 158 x 140 x 89 millimeters (6 ¼ x 5 ½ x 3 ½ inches).

 

[DownUnder]

Browsing around on this typically (climate) overheated morning in Indonesia in the archive of RFF posts from 20+ years ago, I came across this little gem. Well worth reviving as a blast from the past, I reckon.

It’s lengthy and it did cover a lot of ground. I intend to return after ‘digesting’ its topic(s) with my thoughts.

Others, please join in. we may get some interesting points of discussion here, if only to reminisce on what was (maybe) popular viewpoints in that now long-vanished past when film was still the supreme medium and digital in its early (teething?) stage.

 

[rfaspen]

I love this. We were all so hopeful at one time....

 

[Axel]

I was convinced there would be foil (film-) sensors soon we could put in our existing systems and use them entirely like before.
I was entirely wrong as we know today.

 

[DownUnder]

Being as I am of a somewhat suspicious (and at times cynical) frame of mind, I've long suspected the camera manufacturers have the plans (and the production facilities) for a digital insert for film cameras, and have these plans safely under lock and key.

It is entirely possible that a corporate decision made in the industry was to not release such a sensor for general use. To safeguard digital camera sales.

Until Hasselblad sort of pulled the plug on this, well, corporate conspiracy. But a 'blad digital insert is a safe bet, given its relatively high price and small sales market.

If Hasselblad could do it, why not the others? Especially Leitz, with all the financial resources they had available at the time - maybe not so much now, but back then, easy money was everywhere in the camera world.

 

[Godfrey]

I know too many of the engineers who worked on digital capture devices over the past few decades to presume some dark conspiracy. Most of them were just as enthusiastic about building digital add-ons for existing cameras that they owned (and loved) as any enthusiast on this forum. It just turns out to be technically unfeasible.

The Leica R line always had only a mediocre sales history despite having excellent quality bodies and some of the best lenses in the industry. People wanted more: AF, lower cost, etc etc. When things started to go digital, the Digital Modul R was an interesting conversion attempt, but, like the Kodak conversions of Nikon SLRs, it was bulky, heavy, and expensive. No future down that path.

The type L lens mount and the Leica SL typ 601 was essentially the re-imagining of the Leica R reflex line. And, IMO, a very successful one as it not only gave a whole new line of brilliant AF lenses to the audience but featured the capability of working with both R-system and M-system lens lines as well.

Delving into the "ancient history" of digital camera products like the Digital Modul-R always feels to me like an exercise in imagining things like "What if that asteroid strike ~65 Million years ago hadn't happened and the Dinosaurs still ruled the planet? Would they have evolved and developed technology? ..." etc. 😉

G

 

[Rayt]

I owned that Leica R digital back for a while and found it quirky though the image quality was exceptional. I ultimately gave up the R system because of a congenital eye defect that made manual focusing very difficult. The rangefinder is my only option for manual focusing.

Sometimes my LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R would stop working and eventually I figured out I had to disassemble it to clean the contacts before every use. When the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R was discontinued Leica also stopped supporting the battery packs so they became highly sought after. I am sure some shop somewhere figured out how to re-cell them.

If the 907x back had been available on its own I might have bought one for my SWC. But since I already have an arsenal of Leica lenses from 21mm to 135mm I was never tempted by anything else. The M10 and M11 cameras especially the Monochroms are just perfect for me.

 

[JeffS7444]

Having owned a Kodak DCS-series DSLR, I think the concept became obsolete the moment Canon's first DSLRs became available to the general public.

I imagine I'd like Hasselblad's 907x (actually, I find stuff to like about pretty much any camera), but would I wind up using it mostly as a mirrorless X-system camera? 😛

 

[Rayt]

I imagine I'd like Hasselblad's 907x (actually, I find stuff to like about pretty much any camera), but would I wind up using it mostly as a mirrorless X-system camera? 😛

It always starts out as a prudent way to use orphaned legacy lenses but eventually somehow native AF lenses tend to take over. This is one reason I avoided the 907x because the risk of dropping another 5 or 6 grand for lenses is too high. I’ll stick to the plan: spend money on the best lenses and just use them.

 

[boojum]

Being as I am of a somewhat suspicious (and at times cynical) frame of mind, I've long suspected the camera manufacturers have the plans (and the production facilities) for a digital insert for film cameras, and have these plans safely under lock and key.

It is entirely possible that a corporate decision made in the industry was to not release such a sensor for general use. To safeguard digital camera sales.

Until Hasselblad sort of pulled the plug on this, well, corporate conspiracy. But a 'blad digital insert is a safe bet, given its relatively high price and small sales market.

If Hasselblad could do it, why not the others?

Hasselblad has a modular design. This lends itself to adding digital backs to cameras that were film only. Leica is not built that way and is an entirely different camera. There are slap-in digital inserts to make film cameras digital but they are under-capitalized and so far have not seen much success. I have not seen reviews on them.

Using Leica as an example for a slap-in digital, what's the advantage?? Leica mount lenses, screw mount and bayonet, can be used on all their digitals and adapted to many other cameras. So why shoot a kludgey IIIf? The key to the IIIf is the lens and it fits a lot of cameras, and not just FF.

So my feeling is that corporate did not see a market worth chasing. Perhaps the failure of the current slap-in digital is an example of why.

 

[boojum]

It always starts out as a prudent way to use orphaned legacy lenses but eventually somehow native AF lenses tend to take over. This is one reason I avoided the 907x because the risk of dropping another 5 or 6 grand for lenses is too high. I’ll stick to the plan: spend money on the best lenses and just use them.

I agree on the problem with HB, the price of the X series lenses. They hurt. OTOH when you buy one you are really complete at that focal length. There is no need to go out and buy others at the same focal length. And you may not be able to, there's that.

An example, I have some nice FF 50's, take the Skyllaney. It is a wonderful lens, works on the HB and covers the entire sensor. And it looks as good as it is ever going to look on that HB sensor, but I am not convinced that it is better the the HB 55. So there is the good and the bad of HB lenses, buy one and you are done. By one and you are financially holed. I always fall back on the stock car analogy, "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" Note I am talking about speed, not driver skills. ;o)

 

[Rayt]

I agree on the problem with HB, the price of the X series lenses. They hurt. OTOH when you buy one you are really complete at that focal length. There is no need to go out and buy others at the same focal length. And you may not be able to, there's that.

An example, I have some nice FF 50's, take the Skyllaney. It is a wonderful lens, works on the HB and covers the entire sensor. And it looks as good as it is ever going to look on that HB sensor, but I am not convinced that it is better the the HB 55. So there is the good and the bad of HB lenses, buy one and you are done. By one and you are financially holed. I always fall back on the stock car analogy, "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" Note I am talking about speed, not driver skills. ;o)

My poor eyesight is a restriction on what camera I can use. Mirrorless offers magnification and peak focusing so I tried a Sony and then the SL2 but AF is just less of a pain and Sigma lenses are affordable. Still I should just stop with the GAS and use what I already have. Problem is that clever marketing really works on me. I am hypnotized!

 

[boojum]

My poor eyesight is a restriction on what camera I can use. Mirrorless offers magnification and peak focusing so I tried a Sony and then the SL2 but AF is just less of a pain and Sigma lenses are affordable. Still I should just stop with the GAS and use what I already have. Problem is that clever marketing really works on me. I am hypnotized!

Ray, they know we are suckers. It is public knowledge. Their problem is determining how much of a financial burden we will bear. Not afford, bear. We stand in front of the table on the orange crate and watch Three Card Monte and each time think that this time we will win. OTOH, we harm no one and have a good time. There are lots worse ways to spend money.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

I remember when the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R came out and saw it demonstrated by Leica reps. I was surprised to realize it was only 22 years ago - it seems more like 32 years now! The 10mp sensor was actually pretty good for the time, but I was using a Leica R4s (and later an R6) alongside my M cameras; I never had much use for the R8 or R9 (they were far too bulky for my taste). Had the DMR been adaptable to the prior R cameras (R4 thru 7) I probably would have acquired one.

 

[boojum]

I bought a Sony DSC S70 in 2000. It gave me gorgeous images on a less than 4MP sensor. The colors were gorgeous as well as the image quality. Here's a favorite snap from the Patzcuaro market of Gladiolas. Some old cameras were really good. I still have the DSC S70. And one nice thing about digital, it does not fade.

Patzcuaro Market Flowers by West Phalia, on Flickr​

 

[DownUnder]

I remember when the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R came out and saw it demonstrated by Leica reps. I was surprised to realize it was only 22 years ago - it seems more like 32 years now! The 10mp sensor was actually pretty good for the time, but I was using a Leica R4s (and later an R6) alongside my M cameras; I never had much use for the R8 or R9 (they were far too bulky for my taste). Had the DMR been adaptable to the prior R cameras (R4 thru 7) I probably would have acquired one.

LEICA DIGITAL-Modul R...

I wrote the comment to the original post (#1) without realising this exists (or existed at some time in the past). My mistake.

I will now go looking for information on it. We lives and we learns. Many thanks, posters!!

 

[Godfrey]

...I imagine I'd like Hasselblad's 907x (actually, I find stuff to like about pretty much any camera), but would I wind up using it mostly as a mirrorless X-system camera? 😛

I ordered the Hasselblad 907x/CFVII 50c "50th Anniversary on the Moon" edition about a week after it was announced. I already had a kit of Hasselblad 500CM (2), three film backs (A12 x2, A16), and five lenses (50, 80, 120 Macro, 150, 180 mm). Plus finders and other accessories. As soon as I saw the 907x/CFVII 50c announcement, I wanted it so that I could keep using my Hasselblad gear into the digital era.

I sold my SWC/m to help fund the 907x, and put the money that obtained into buying the XCD 21mm f/4 lens (netting back an all digital SWC equivalent). I also ordered the 45P with the 907x, and later found a good deal on a second-hand XCD 65mm f/2.8. I got a 90mm for it too, for a bit, but found I didn't use it much and sold it. I also obtained the X-V lens adapter and its tripod mounting foot. I have the Hasselblad grip and viewfinder mounts, and I made up my own grip in addition

The CFVII 50c has spent as much shooting time on the 500CM as it has on the 907x. The XCD 21 on the 907x, set to square format, really is an "all digital SWC". The 45P makes the 907x small and handy, the 65 has stunning and beautiful rendering. The back makes stunning 50Mpixel image files, regardless which body I use it with.

The 907x/CFVII 50c also allows me to use my Leica M and R lenses on it with adapters.

This Hasselblad kit is supremely modular, flexible, and delightful to make photographs with. It is a completely different shooting experience from the M10-M/-R kit, and (for me) motivates a more studied, slower-paced shooting methodology. The dynamic range is outstanding, the color science spectacular.

It's not something I use every day, like any of the Leicas. It's something I plan using, plan places and subjects to shoot with it. It was not inexpensive; I'm glad I was able to afford it.


Brick Wall


Hasselblad 907x + XCD 21mm f/4

It makes me happy. 😀

G

 

[JeffS7444]

This Hasselblad kit is supremely modular, flexible, and delightful to make photographs with. It is a completely different shooting experience from the M10-M/-R kit, and (for me) motivates a more studied, slower-paced shooting methodology. The dynamic range is outstanding, the color science spectacular.
...
It's not something I use every day, like any of the Leicas. ...

Thanks for the mini review, G.

I've been experimenting with a more studied, slower-paced shopping methodology 🤣 Realized that it took me a full four years to actually buy a Nikon Zfc, and that's a trifle by comparison. Why so long? Because I saw it as a pure luxury which fills no particular niche for me, save that I thought it might be nice to have. Nevertheless, I figured if it was still on my mind after all this time, maybe it was an itch worth scratching.

Pretty much any camera can feel transparent to me if I stick with it long enough, and if I need to slow down and contemplate, reducing my sugar and caffeine intake seems like a more direct approach.

While I like the notion of digital medium format, I dunno that I'm craving it as much as I ought to: It still feels more like a vague might-be-nice than a burning desire. And it's even less clear that I'd want to choose brand H versus F, the medium-format gorilla.

 

[Godfrey]

You're welcome.

I already had/have a substantial kit of Hasselblad stuff, and absolutely no interest in going Fuji for anything. So when the 907x "Moon" edition was announced, I was immediately sold on it ... and then I saw that little plaque on the side of the back.

I am an Apollo Program junkie. 😉

G