Leica M full frame CCD sensor camera DIY prototype - with pictures!

[nbphoto]

I stumbled upon this today and thought I would share it with you.

http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00RmbG

It looks like an interesting little project. I dont pretend to understand all of the complexities, but it appears that getting a FF or almost FF sensor into a camera with an M mount is possible.

 

[russianRF]

But this is a traditional LTM, not an M mount. He said that the M mount lenses would have to be modified to work.

First, I tried to use the Leica 35mm/1.4 Summilux as the lens. But found the lens end protruding too much. So I switched to Industar 55mm screw mount lens as the lesn for the testing of my prototype camera.

and

So my assumption is: a full frame sensor on M camera is technically possible, but it requires the redesign of some of the Leica M lenses. Also, for wide angle, maybe SLR type design will be needed to avoid dark corner vignett.

 

[sojournerphoto]

His problem appears to be his shutter, whch is a copal attached to the back of his lens.

 

[Tim Gray]

Yeah it was kind of a pointless exercise if you ask me. Basically a "it works except when it doesn't" kind of thing. He got poor performance with wides, which was the whole issue with a FF RF design to begin with.

 

[funkaoshi]

Pointless? The dude built his own camera. Which takes photos. The shots from the Industar looked pretty cool.

Only on the Internet can a dude build a camera and get a 'meh' response.

 

[vincentbenoit]

Loved this bit: "But first I need to find a functional, used M mount camera. Destroying a brand new camera is not an environmental friendly behavior."

 

[Tim Gray]

Pointless? The dude built his own camera. Which takes photos. The shots from the Industar looked pretty cool.

Only on the Internet can a dude build a camera and get a 'meh' response.

hmm. Misinterpreted. It sounded like he set out to prove that you could mount an M mount lens on a full frame sensor. And he finished with a 'prototype' of just that. However, his conclusions were basically what we already knew. You can do it, but most current wide lenses won't function as you would like.

What he did was very cool and probably really fun, but it was 'pointless' in the sense that I don't think it really proved anything we didn't already know. And has probably been proven years ago in the Leica labs.

 

[funkaoshi]

Ah, fair enough.

 

[WoolenMammoth]

Only on the Internet can a dude build a camera and get a 'meh' response.

seriously.

 

[antiquark]

I don't think it was that hard, he's using a digital back that already exists, he didn't build it himself.

The Eyelike M11 apparently doesn't have an AA filter, which is the thing that causes all the vignetting. That's why the M8 had an overly thin AA filter which let excessive IR through. In other words, if an AA filter was installed, the vignetting would suddenly crank up to Epson RD1 levels:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/rd-1-lens.shtml

 

[funkaoshi]

I don't think it was that hard, he's using a digital back that already exists, he didn't build it himself.

It's true, I regularly read about people hobbling cameras together themselves.

 

[victoriapio]

Hell of an idea, some very interesting engineering but predictable results.

A for effort; C for compromises; F for results. I admire everything about the goals of this project but hasn't he just PROVEN what the Leica engineers found out a few years ago? And that is you cannot adapt wide Leica glass to a full frame sensor with good results?