My sincere apologies to jwhitley (and others)
My sincere apologies to jwhitley (and others)
This makes no sense. Having shipped embedded consumer electronics devices, I'll say that one does not increase profits for an embedded electronic device solely by increasing the BOM (bill of materials) costs.
I feel I must learn to brand my perverted sense of humor and sarcasm by placing one of those emoticons with the wry smile at each end of my sarcastic comments.
🙄No, I do not truly believe that any of the manufactures are charging by the pound on each camera sold.
😛
My comment should be taken to reinforce that NOT ONE manufacturer has offered a FF sensor camera that was not markedly bigger than the crop factor cameras sized for 2X (4/3rds) to 1.7X (many Canon/Nikon/Other Mfrs).
I think this alone reinforces the argument that, based on current technology of FF sensors (which may remain true for an undetermined time), it appears that there is not a way to make a FF camera in the size that both Leica and Leica enthusiast would be satisfied with. That being the case, I doubt that Leica would risk coming to market with a FF camera at the sizes dictated by currently possible standards.
As I said before, the people advancing the cause of digital sensors will more likely pursue better image quality from smaller sensors than to try to pursue a smaller package of support technology so that FF sensors will fit in a smaller body. It makes more sense to engineer in that direction for the mass market than to spend huge amounts of money to satisfy a tiny (Leica) market which will not sell enough cameras at $7000 to recover a fraction of the development.
Furthermore, it appears from all I have read here and in other venues, the sensor size in the M8 is NOT a problem. It captures very good images in it's own right. The problems mentioned seem to be in how the crop sensor interacts with standard 35mm lenses, and in software complications of the camera. On the software side, it seems to me that a FF sensor would not automatically resolve the issue of the M8 being poor on JPEG writing and White Balance issues. Those can be taken care of without a larger sensor.
As for the need to buy lenses specific to the crop factor. That issue is true for the masses moving from any film SLR to crop factor DSLR cameras. If the average professional or advanced amateur must pony up the money for dedicated digital crop factor lenses, then truly serious Leica enthusiasts happy with the M8 can surely more afford to come up with the additional money for dedicated digital lenses.
However, for that to happen, Leica and makers of lenses for the Leica need to show a serious commitment to digital image capture by providing crop factor lenses that work with the M8 and successors on the current crop factor. Otherwise, Leica needs to show commitment by coming to market with a much bigger M9 containing the FF sensor, using existing lenses (If they can overcome the angle of incidence problem in doing so), and see if they can pencil out a profit on a smaller number of buyers at a higher price.
Otherwise, Leica may be faced with the possibility of dropping RF digital in the M series, expand on their partnership with Panasonic, come to market with a FF DSLR, and continue to derive M money out of a film only market.
😀
