Dream camera for 2010

[Harry Lime]

You make a good point. It would be difficult to train a team that could assemble something as complex as the M series RF unit. But that doesn't change the fact that the Chinese are capable of top grade work. Again, take a look at Apple.

But the CL was less complex than the M and therefore could probably be built by a team somewhere other than Germany. Nikon still assembles their top of the line models in Japan, but everything else is made elsewhere.

Or Leica could have the CL-D assembled in the former east Germany where labor is cheaper and they can probably get a tax break from the government.

But regardless it's a mute argument, because Leica is on the record saying that they have absolutely no interest what so ever in making a more economical camera. Their advice is that if you can't afford an M9, buy yourself a used M8. Otherwise, tough luck.

Sort of. A tradition of fine mechanical engineering and a trained time-served workforce makes it a LOT easier to make (e.g.) rangefinder cameras, but people can be trained.

The point is, training costs money, and the main reason to make stuff in China is to save money. A lot of people who 'outsource' stuff to China are therefore looking to save a penny here, a penny there, and to hell with quality. This refers mainly to non-Chinese investors.

What amuses me about this thread is that once you remove the fantasies that are technically impossible (the equivalent of the 10-300mm f/1 zoom) or financially risible (M9 for $3000) there are not very many entries.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

You make a good point. It would be difficult to train a team that could assemble something as complex as the M series RF unit. But that doesn't change the fact that the Chinese are capable of top grade work. Again, take a look at Apple.

quote] no doubt they are capable but prices would probably come into line with the west, as an example - one of my small bench lathes ( Chinese built ) was - on arrival, stripped and rebuilt, by me - with a few refinements and improvements, it is now a smooth, high precision machine. There are a few importers in both UK and USA - doing this with machine tools, in a similar fashion that used to be used with Russian cameras - before sale. 🙂
Dave.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

As Roger said, there are few ideas here... I think a good direction would be to simplify as a general rule... I mean things like leaving color info, as Bill Pierce said...

I mean it's not necessary to have a camera that does it all, because finally we carry more than one and need several lenses for several situations... A company could make a line of cameras based on the same metal base, with different fix focal lenses, and for b&w OR color, and for high saturation OR high speed ASAs, and the stores would suffer the need for larger stocks, but we wouldn't suffer paying for two or three M9s...

My dream camera for 2010 is a change in manufacturing vision, and a line of smaller, lighter, fix lenses, dedicated and cheaper cameras, both for film and digital.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[ulrikft]

- Small compact body, FM/FE-sized or Zeiss Ikon-sized.

- optical, high-res EVF that will give you TTL focus, close focus capability etc. A feature I want is a 100% zoom area, like a split prism or RF patch, just that you can move it around from predetermined spots with the joystick, I think that would be a quick and intuitive way of manual focusing adapted lenses. Also it would give a nice visual confirmation of auto focus

- Small sensor - mount distance, to allow for lots of adapted lenses, everything from M-mount to nikon f-mount lenses on the same camera.

- Fullframe sensor. Corner smearing when using m-lenses? well.. ok, I'll get a old FD 24 2.8 for my landscape needs then.. 😉

- 15-25 Megapixels somewhere

- d700/5dmkII high iso capability