Design your ideal digital camera!

[phototektour]

Full frame R-D1.

 

[Roger Hicks]

M9

Higher ISO

Um...

That's it.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Keith]

Olympus OM-1 Digital (retaining match needle metering)
12 megapixel full frame sensor (with as much dynamic range as possible)
Flip out LCD screen
Detachable motordrive option
Good usable 1600 ISO performance
Raw format only.

 

[dmr]

One thing I would love would be a digital that had a film transport, and the option of using film. 🙂

Oh, full-frame, of course.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

The M9 is pretty much it, for me, at least in theory. Maybe someday...

 

[Ronald_H]

Looking at the responses so far, D3s hi-ISO performance in an M body would do it for a lot of people...

Here's my take:

Form factor of a Leica M
The screen, AF, EVF and manual focus interface of the Panasonic G1.
The sensor & engine of the Nikon D3s
A 'micro F-mount', compatible via an adapter with all F mount and M mount lenses
Small, fast primes

I would spend an obscene amount of money on a camera like this.

As for film, I have a Leica M2 and a Nikon FM2n. That'll do.

 

[kipkeston]

Clearly everyone wants the M10. An M9 with competitive low light abilities😉

 

[mfogiel]

Zeiss Ikon body, 24MP B&W only sensor, Fuji S3 DR, 24 BIT.

 

[mw_uio]

A Nikon F3/T (black, with metering from the F6! ) and a the best sensor available, with ZF glass! 😀


MArk
Quito, Ecuador

 

[snausages]

An OM-1 body with D3s FF sensor and 24p HD video.

For 2k.

 

[phototektour]

One thing I would love would be a digital that had a film transport, and the option of using film. 🙂

Oh, full-frame, of course.

You think, your nick is the truth? Some guys at Solms did the same, but only for a short time 🙄

 

[Ted2001]

I'd be happy with a Contax G2 full frame digital over 12mp.

 

[Vince Lupo]

The M9 is pretty much it, for me, at least in theory. Maybe someday...

I'll second that. This is the camera I've been waiting for Leica to finally develop. I'm already making plans...

 

[anorphirith]

M9 body with a fake winder
all mechanical shutter
no back screen, so no review
a sensor that activates only when you take a picture
5D II or D3s sensor
CF compatible (insert by opening the base plate)
from 15mm to 90mm viewfinder
body made of copper (I just love copper)
Hammertone paint
shutter up to 1/4000
very precise metering

 

[anorphirith]

I'd pay $5000 for all the above
and I'll add excellent quality control

 

[dmr]

You think, your nick is the truth? Some guys at Solms did the same, but only for a short time 🙄

LOL! My nick is my in-real-life initials. 🙂

Yes, I'm aware of the obvious coincidence.

Other than for the coincidental name, the Leica DMR did not really impress me. It would be like carrying around a big honking press camera! It's HUGE!

I would think that the Powers That Be would at least consider there would be a demand for something like this. I mean they have an M7 size body which shoots film, and a M8 now M9 that shoots digital, same basic shape size and design. I would think that some innovative designer would figure out how to meld them to give a similar camera that would shoot on an M9 full frame sensor but have a film transport in there too!

Oh well ...

 

[Rob-F]

The OP's suggestion to put a digital camera in a Zeiss Ikon body, really resonated with me. I've often thought that the ideal digital would have the same body as one's favorite comfortable, familiar film camera. So an M6/MP or Zeiss body sounds right. But also: How about a Nikon digital in the same body as an FA, or F3 (etc.). I would not insist on full-frame, but I would insist that the crop factor could not be more than 1.2:1. I would not be a megapixel hog, either. Eight MP is probably enough, so as to balance resolution against excellent high ISO performance. I guess a good clean 1600 would be enough. I want live view as well as a good optical finder. A rangefinder for my Leica lenses, and an SLR for my Nikon glass.

And let's keep it simple. None of your 99-point autofocus, for instance. One point will do. The lens has never been made that can focus at more than one distance at a time. And let's get some real dynamic range, OK? I'm tired of seeing those blown highlights blinking on the LCD. Built-in flash would be welcome. Maybe the ability to shoot in TIFF as well as JPEG and raw.

 

[blackwave]

I'd really like a digital sensor that fits into the film compartment of any 35mm film body. Is that soooo hard? 🙂

 

[dmr]

I'd really like a digital sensor that fits into the film compartment of any 35mm film body. Is that soooo hard? 🙂

I would love this too!

It's almost come to be a couple times. Search in the archives here. I think the last serious attempt at it was in the early to mid 2000s.

Google variants of "Digital Film" and you'll probably come across these projects which never made it to market.

 

[edodo]

The ideal digital camera is directly plugged to my brain (wirelessly) so the decisive moment is only a reflex away when my brain says "action" to the computer that composes the shot for me, both exposition and framing!