aizan
Veteran
Just kidding. This was my rainy day project. You can't really read the text I've written in the margins (can't really see them in the original either), so here's the gist of what's going on. The M8 is sort of like the R8/9 with digital module in that it does both film and digital. How the digital back and body are integrated allows for forward compatability and upgradability, etc. I didn't draw it, but the digital back would have a door over the film canister well, which doubles as a battery compartment. Slots for memory and wires would be on the other side. In the center, there is some arrangement of buttons around a screen. I'm thinking about a built-in shade for the screen, like in Graflexes.
Moving along, this camera uses the shutter from the M7 with a flash synch of 125th, or a square 60th. No more of this 50th nonsense. Viewfinder readout is like the Bessa R3a, and likewise has a 1:1 viewfinder with manually selected 35/50/90 framelines (so you only need one adapter). I never cared for the frameline preview doohicky and you might as well save some pennies. The eyepiece will be large enough for glass wearers to see the 35mm FLs. Also, there will be screw-in .8x and .58x eyepieces that'll knock those FLs down to 28/40/75 and 21/28/50, respectively.
If you think the camera looks a lot like the Zeiss Ikon, that's just because they're both descended from the Leica CL. The back is curved for the palm, the front is more angled for the fingers...it's a stroke of genius that Konica missed out on. The rewind knob is inspired by the Bessa R3a, Canon F-1n, and knob wind Ms. It's pointing out just for show; in use, it'd be turned to either side to avoid snags. The frameline selector on the back is also from the Canon F-1n, as is the shutter button (Switch left=self timer (you've wanted one of those, perhaps?), center=off, right=on. Half depress is AE lock in AE mode, meter in manual.), advance lever (with buttery smooth advance, and not as tall, but same solid stand-off detent), frame counter (numbered by fours, dots in between), and film plane mark. The shutter speed dial is from the ZI. The bottom would look like the Canon F-1n, with whatever additions and modifications are needed for a trigger winder.
Not original, but I think it looks good. Brings back Leica's most modern design, the CL, adds a few touches from other favorite cameras, and tweaks it into a full-fledged system body that I guess might keep Leica in business long enough to make a camera that uses optical data technology.
I posted this on PN, too. Couldn't resist!
Moving along, this camera uses the shutter from the M7 with a flash synch of 125th, or a square 60th. No more of this 50th nonsense. Viewfinder readout is like the Bessa R3a, and likewise has a 1:1 viewfinder with manually selected 35/50/90 framelines (so you only need one adapter). I never cared for the frameline preview doohicky and you might as well save some pennies. The eyepiece will be large enough for glass wearers to see the 35mm FLs. Also, there will be screw-in .8x and .58x eyepieces that'll knock those FLs down to 28/40/75 and 21/28/50, respectively.
If you think the camera looks a lot like the Zeiss Ikon, that's just because they're both descended from the Leica CL. The back is curved for the palm, the front is more angled for the fingers...it's a stroke of genius that Konica missed out on. The rewind knob is inspired by the Bessa R3a, Canon F-1n, and knob wind Ms. It's pointing out just for show; in use, it'd be turned to either side to avoid snags. The frameline selector on the back is also from the Canon F-1n, as is the shutter button (Switch left=self timer (you've wanted one of those, perhaps?), center=off, right=on. Half depress is AE lock in AE mode, meter in manual.), advance lever (with buttery smooth advance, and not as tall, but same solid stand-off detent), frame counter (numbered by fours, dots in between), and film plane mark. The shutter speed dial is from the ZI. The bottom would look like the Canon F-1n, with whatever additions and modifications are needed for a trigger winder.
Not original, but I think it looks good. Brings back Leica's most modern design, the CL, adds a few touches from other favorite cameras, and tweaks it into a full-fledged system body that I guess might keep Leica in business long enough to make a camera that uses optical data technology.
I posted this on PN, too. Couldn't resist!
