If I were a Chinese manufacturer, I would build this

[I Love Film]

There are plenty of Chinese manufacturers with the technological capability to produce high grade digital cameras.

I would produce a small, light DSLR body with a full frame sensor. It would be about the size and complexity of a Nikon FE.

Along the general philosophy of the Epson R-D1, I would make it as simple as possible, manual cocking, very simple operation that mimicked a 1980's film SLR. Auto-exposure with manual option, very high quality and easy to focus screen.

Now here's the even more interesting part, I would design it to accept "orphaned" lines of high quality lenses such as the Canon FD series, or the Minolta MD Rokkors. Maybe even the Konica SLR lenses. The lenses, when mounted to the compatible camera, would retain all native functions.

I would introduce the camera with one mount first, say, for Canon FD, and then, keeping the same general design, with the same chargers, accessories, etc, quickly introduce the camera with more mounts.

For mounts that were not that common or popular, such as the lenses for Petri SLRs, I would sell a model that accepted high quality lens adapters that could at least be used in stop down mode.

I'm not sure of the patent legality, but I would try to introduce a model which accepted Nikon AI lenses as well.

If this could be sold at a price point around $999 (or even $1499), I think they would have a smash hit on their hands.

The weak point would be marketing and branding. They would do well to hire top quality Western branding and marketing specialists to set up ad campaign for this.

"RFF" type people, students, cultists, you name it, plus a large new market segment would flock to these digital cameras.

 

[Vickko]

Like, if I were Abe Kobayashi of Cosina?

Perhaps it is telling that even he, who has the clout to direct Cosina, and could make some of your items, hasn't chosen too.

So, I wonder why not. Too complex? Too expensive? Market analysis said "no, not financially viable"?

 

[I Love Film]

Maybe he's working on it, who knows?

Anyway, even very smart men sometimes fail to act on a good idea. Whenever something new or interesting comes up, there are always an army of people who pop up and say "impossible", or "can't do it".

The ones who take a chance get rich.

Steve Jobs was furious at Obama, according to his bio, because Obama always gave him reasons why something couldn't be done when Jobs suggested it.

I would not worry about "market analysis", I would go with a hunch. That's how the iPhone and iPad were done.

 

[HuubL]

dream on...

 

[I Love Film]

Not dreaming, perfectly plausible. I'm sure it will be done in the next few years.

Using old lenses is a huge hobby in Asia and elsewhere.

Half of the M9's sold were so people could use 50 year old lenses on them.

 

[zuiko85]

The auto aperture mechanism's and meter coupling were all in different places and operated differently in popular 70's and 80's film SLR cameras. You mentioned Canon FD, Minolta MD and Konica AR lenses so I assume you have at least some of the first two you list. But what about Pentax K, Nikon, Olympus OM and Zeiss/Yashica Contax mount? I'm sure they have many fans too. Designing a camera to fit and couple with all these lenses with their different flange to film distances and linkages sounds like a camera designer's nightmare.

Finally consider this. All these lenses are long out of production with a fixed and limited supply. Prices on many have already risen substantially because most of them can be adapted to the still developing mirrorless cameras coming on the market. The way things are developing now quite a few are being priced right out of the hands of film photographers still using and loving their film bodies.

 

[I Love Film]

1) I didn't say one camera body could take all mounts. One basic body, different models for different lenses. Not really too difficult.

2) There is an immense supply of used lenses floating around for these old mounts. Probably hundreds of thousands, or even millions, including non-OEMs like Vivitar or Tamron.

3) You don't have to sell a body for every single mount. Just the most popular. And I already mentioned stop-down adapters.

4) I also forgot to mention Praktica/Pentax M42 mount. This would be a "must-build" model.

The auto aperture mechanism's and meter coupling were all in different places and operated differently in popular 70's and 80's film SLR cameras. You mentioned Canon FD, Minolta MD and Konica AR lenses so I assume you have at least some of the first two you list. But what about Pentax K, Nikon, Olympus OM and Zeiss/Yashica Contax mount? I'm sure they have many fans too. Designing a camera to fit and couple with all these lenses with their different flange to film distances and linkages sounds like a camera designer's nightmare.

Finally consider this. All these lenses are long out of production with a fixed and limited supply. Prices on many have already risen substantially because most of them can be adapted to the still developing mirrorless cameras coming on the market. The way things are developing now quite a few are being priced right out of the hands of film photographers still using and loving their film bodies.

 

[Sylvester]

Hell, they made the LTM and Nikon/Contax Bessas, why not that? Nice idea, but isn't Cosina devoted to film?

 

[zuiko85]

Also good to remember. Most of these mount's meter coupling developed and changed over the years even if the basic bayonet claws stayed the same. Do you also want this fantasy body to be meter coupled with full EE function where applicable over the entire production run of any particular mount?

Not gonna happen.

I think we *may* see a FF mirrorless with EFV eventually. With a short flange back distance it may be possible for some adapters to have micro ring motors in the adapter that couple to the stop down lever to provide auto aperture and even built in translators to signal the camera the aperture set for open aperture metering. But keep in mind that such complexity would not come at the $20~$40 price point of the dumb adapters available for current mirrorless cameras.

 

[I Love Film]

You're a real ray of sunshine. One of the "can never be done" crowd.

Impossible to put a man on the moon or a rover on Mars also. Too many things could go wrong.

Also good to remember. Most of these mount's meter coupling developed and changed over the years even if the basic bayonet claws stayed the same. Do you also want this fantasy body to be meter coupled with full EE function where applicable over the entire production run of any particular mount?

Not gonna happen.

I think we *may* see a FF mirrorless with EFV eventually. With a short flange back distance it may be possible for some adapters to have micro ring motors in the adapter that couple to the stop down lever to provide auto aperture and even built in translators to signal the camera the aperture set for open aperture metering. But keep in mind that such complexity would not come at the $20~$40 price point of the dumb adapters available for current mirrorless cameras.

 

[NazgulKing]

The camera business is a business that demands high sunk cost and R&D.

If say the manufacturer wants to do lens coatings, he needs to sink a couple million at least to buy a coating machine, and then spend a lot of time figuring the coating formulae from scratch.

Throw in the need to work out lens designs and whatever not. Hiring of skilled workers to all the calculations and so forth, having the skilled workers to operate highly expensive and precise machines to grind aspherics etc. You are talking about a high order of doing this.

The Germans and Japanese are good at precision manufacturing. The Chinese have quite many ways to go to get there. Never mind the crappy QC issues I get when I come across Chinese optics.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

In this age, there don't seem to be any technological barriers that couldn't be worked around to achieve your dream cameras (and mine too). However I wonder now if the mirrorless camera market hasn't usurped this potential niche. Its now just too easy to use the older lenses, with adapters, on Panasonic and Olympus bodies. The only thing about those that leaves me wanting is the damn crop factor. So will we see a reasonably priced, full-frame mirrorless family of cameras one day? Hopefully.

 

[raid]

I have lots of FD glass, but I don't expect a new digital FF camera for that glass.
Film will eventually have to go, and digital developments will be focusd on all-digital new technology lenses and cameras, I think.

To dream is free. Why not do it.

 

[NeeZee]

You're a real ray of sunshine. One of the "can never be done" crowd.

Impossible to put a man on the moon or a rover on Mars also. Too many things could go wrong.

Oh, come on, why don't you just become a Chinese manufacturer yourself and realize this genius idea - as you said: everything can be done.

 

[Griffin]

Great idea. How about a basic body with interchangeable bayonet mounts?

 

[Ronald_H]

Yes. I have been dreaming about this too, and for a long time. And I think there are plenty more people who would like to have such a camera.

There is a void between full frame SLRs and APS-C mirrorless cameras. Through the D70, D200 and NEX-3 I always have found APS-C a compromise. But full frame SLRs are bulky and costly and frankly a D800 is overkill. for me Something in between, small, simple, light, with a full frame sensor, THAT's what I want. Oh wait, there is the Leica M9. But that is disqualified for being far far too expensive and too limited, not to mention the less than state of the art high ISO performance.

I don't care if people think it would be a niche market or too expensive. This is the camera many enthusiasts want and there is no TECHNOLOGICAL reason it doesn't exist. A digital Nikon FE indeed.

 

[Murchu]

Would love to see something like this. Think the main issue for such a product would be getting over the quality stigma of a camera produced by someone outside the main, or even niche, camera or electronics companies. In order to do so, such a company might feel it necessary to keep the camera below a certain price point, and this could mean with full frame sensors the price they are currently, that it might be a non-runner.

I think this can be done, and should be done. Body the size a classic film slr/ rf, even drop the lcd for all I care, or make it like the R-D1 so it can be reversed in towards the body. Simple body, great viewfinder, controls for aperture, shutter speed and iso, and perhaps a button to switch between setting banks.

 

[analogangler]

Back

Back

What about a digital back for an AE-1 or simliar? Syc using the PC socket...use the original camera's mechanicals/meter/etc. Make 1 module with the sensor/screen/controls and then a series of back adapters that fit on to A-1/AE-1/F1/(insert 20 most popular obsolete film SLR bodies here). Only parameters that matter is that the digital is synced properly and that the sensor is at the film plane.

Just dreaming...

 

[I Love Film]

That is a plausible idea, but I think creating a new digital body adapted to various mounts would be the way to go.

I see a lot of film plane, sync, alignment and dust problems with the "interchangeable digital back" concept.

I also think a lot of people here are underestimating the ability of the Chinese to produce precision products.

What about a digital back for an AE-1 or simliar? Syc using the PC socket...use the original camera's mechanicals/meter/etc. Make 1 module with the sensor/screen/controls and then a series of back adapters that fit on to A-1/AE-1/F1/(insert 20 most popular obsolete film SLR bodies here). Only parameters that matter is that the digital is synced properly and that the sensor is at the film plane.

Just dreaming...

 

[I Love Film]

As a matter of fact, I'm going to China, and then the Philippines later this year, and I'm going to go to a couple of factories to discuss just that. I might even become an investor, even though my experience is almost all on the on the marketing and advertising end.

I've spoken to people in the business and they were by no means negative about the concept. It is a niche market, but a relatively huge niche market.

Oh, come on, why don't you just become a Chinese manufacturer yourself and realize this genius idea - as you said: everything can be done.