Micro Four Thirds & Leica M Mount

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pizzahut88

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I am totally intrigue by this new Micro Four Thirds ("MFT") standard, and no doubt this is in fact the closest thing to a digital RF.

I've a hunch that this could be big . . .
(1) Leica is involved for sure, and we should have some Leica MFT lenses coming,
(2) M-Mount lenses might be usable due to the shorter flange back distance,


Questions I've concern this standard:
(1) this MFT mount will compete directly for existing M users, how will Leica balance the two systems? If one is good and equally small, why buy the other?
(2) the product page is now ready but blank

http://www.four-thirds.org/jp/microft/mft_product.html

And that means something nice should appear soon enough.


Discuss.

Cheeers,
Manfred
 
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Close Call !

Close Call !

I love my Leica lenses, and am very impressed with Olympus' Digital SLRs. Having agonized endlessly about the M8 and the RD1, and really liking the Olympus E520 + 25mm F1.4 Leica lens, and sometimes just about to pull the trigger, I am now glad that I did not.
Whether or not the current M-mount lenses will be relevant in the new format, I am looking forward to hearing more. If one can get a small(ish) Olympus body, (new) Leica lenses to fit, and a manageable price, I'm in !
Subhash :D
 
My personal feeling is that people are way over-thinking this. If Leica was involved we would have heard about it. At the most they may make some of their zoom SLR lenses that they make for Panasonic.

Olympus and, to a lesser extent, Panasonic make relatively cheap, plastic cameras. I believe this mount is being developed so they can make even smaller and possibly cheaper cameras for people who don't want to carry an SLR system.

The notion that they are developing a body that isn't cheap and plastic is fairly unlikely and I doubt most Leica lovers would be happy with the build of them.
 
Ray Nalley said:
I read a discussion of this on PN. But there is nothing I can see that would suggest this will lead to a digital RF.
Click to expand...

Well, this is NOT a digital RF.
The M8 is.

This is something in between, not a DLSR, nor a rangefinder.

When Olympus introduced Four Thirds, Leica made a mount for using Leica R lenses on Four Third bodies (x2 focal length).

It won't be surprising if this time Leica introduce a M mount adapter to MFT Mount converter.

If Leica did not make one, after market will, and evil-bay will have them for sale el-cheapo. Unless this is totally not doable.
 
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capitalK said:
My personal feeling is that people are way over-thinking this. If Leica was involved we would have heard about it. At the most they may make some of their zoom SLR lenses that they make for Panasonic.

Olympus and, to a lesser extent, Panasonic make relatively cheap, plastic cameras. I believe this mount is being developed so they can make even smaller and possibly cheaper cameras for people who don't want to carry an SLR system.

The notion that they are developing a body that isn't cheap and plastic is fairly unlikely and I doubt most Leica lovers would be happy with the build of them.
Click to expand...

Oh, I am sure these body will be plasticky alright.
Nothing like the Leica M8 craftmanship . . .
but if it's fun to use, what not?

Plastic or brass or magnesium alloy or copper silumin
the most important thing is that we have more options, and affordable ones.
 
capitalK said:
My personal feeling is that people are way over-thinking this. If Leica was involved we would have heard about it. At the most they may make some of their zoom SLR lenses that they make for Panasonic.
Click to expand...

Doesnt Leica offer a digital 4/3 camera?

capitalK said:
The notion that they are developing a body that isn't cheap and plastic is fairly unlikely and I doubt most Leica lovers would be happy with the build of them.
Click to expand...

No matter if plastic or not, this will be a "M-compatible" (adapters) digital camera far cheaper than the M8 or the collectable RD-1. Will make the use of Canon FD or Minolta MD glass possible as well.
 
One thing to remember is that if you want to put a rangefinder lens on a highly automated camera, which covers most digital cameras, then you have to remember that rangefinder lenses don't have auto-aperture mechanisms.

That might meant that you might need some adjustments to the metering system.

The photographer also might want to focus at open aperture and then close down to the working aperture just before taking the photo, unless the photographer is one of those "can only shoot at full aperture all of the time." That in itself could pose problems, because you would need to take the ISO down to a reasonable level, and it seems that the starting ISO for many DSLRs is 200. However, it's premature to discuss that. And you can always use some ND filters, which would make focusing manually a bit more difficult.

ALSO, focusing manually with an electronic viewfinder isn't nearly as good as focusing with a real optical viewfinder (SLR or rangefinder).
 
i wouldn't mind a rolleiflex-type hood going over one of those high res nikon lcds...just thinking out loud.
 
Ray Nalley said:
But at that point it's no longer a manual rangefinder, and who would want that?
Click to expand...

Hell, I would! It's just another way of getting pictures. I don't think this thing will ever be anything like a manual rangefinder, personally. more like a Sigma DP1 with interchangeable lenses.

What I really want is a digital bessa, to be honest. But I don't know if that's ever going to happen.
 
mabelsound said:
Hell, I would! It's just another way of getting pictures. I don't think this thing will ever be anything like a manual rangefinder, personally. more like a Sigma DP1 with interchangeable lenses.

What I really want is a digital bessa, to be honest. But I don't know if that's ever going to happen.
Click to expand...
Well, what is wrong with an RD1 then? That IS a digital Bessa.....
 
?

?

pizzahut88 said:
I am totally intrigue by this new Micro Four Thirds ("MFT") standard, and no doubt this is in fact the closest thing to a digital RF.

I've a hunch that this could be big . . .
(1) Leica is involved for sure, and we should have some Leica MFT lenses coming,
(2) M-Mount lenses might be usable due to the shorter flange back distance,


Questions I've concern this standard:
(1) this MFT mount will compete directly for existing M users, how will Leica balance the two systems? If one is good and equally small, why buy the other?
(2) the product page is now ready but blank

http://www.four-thirds.org/jp/microft/mft_product.html

And that means something nice should appear soon enough.


Discuss.

Cheeers,
Manfred
Click to expand...

Why is this thread in a RF form? Or more to the point what does any of this have to do with the M8?
 
POINT OF VIEW said:
Why is this thread in a RF form? Or more to the point what does any of this have to do with the M8?
Click to expand...


We frequently cover cameras in this forum that are not RF because the members find them intersting.
As for the M8 connection, since Leica has, in the past, worked with Panny, it's not unreasonable to speculate on the future of Leica RFs in context of the m3/4rds format.
 
What ever.

What ever.

dazedgonebye said:
We frequently cover cameras in this forum that are not RF because the members find them intersting.
As for the M8 connection, since Leica has, in the past, worked with Panny, it's not unreasonable to speculate on the future of Leica RFs in context of the m3/4rds format.
Click to expand...


There are hundreds of automated cameras available in the market place. A RF camera by nature is a manual functioning camera. That is why the majority of RF shooters buy them. I cannot for the life of me understand why anybody can’ understand that. If you want a camera that has auto this and that , the world is full of them. In short, I don’t see any reason to turn the M8 into a DLSR or a PS.
 
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