Screen-less fantasy M9 project, comments are welcome and appreciated!

cosmonaut said:
Would the lack of an LCD make it cheaper?
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In theory, yes. But in reality, I'm betting it would make it 5-10 times more expensive.
That's because there is such a tiny market for an LCD-less digital camera that Leica would have to really jack up the price - even by Leica standards - to offset the development costs.
 
This is fun. I have been thinking about this exact thing for about 3 years. I really like your drawing - basically an M4 or M2 - winding mechanism advances shutter only (use the M6 shutter box). The battery can go in where the film used to. It will last longer since it only powers the sensor and the meter (more reliable). Leica could use the M6 shell, baseplate would stay the same and would cover the battery, CF card slot (I'd like to see 2 CF card slots BTW). Maybe put a USB port under there too, so you can connect the body to your laptop or smart phone (to make setting selections like ISO, image type, ect). From the outside the camera would realy look just like an M series camera - you could call it the M$-D (for digital, of course). Finally, paint it in black enamel over a brass body. The could sell a pile of these if they could price them for at no more than $4000. Just my thoughts. Thanks for starting this thread !
 
jarski said:
digicamera without LCD, natural laws of camera world does not apply to Leicaland :p :D

seriously though. cool scetches, wonder how todo those ?

thicker bottom plate that has battery cells has been on my wish list too. guess swivel would be best way to handle LCD "issue" :)
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Thanks, Jarno, I use an "ink-less pen" on "paper-less sketch pad" to draw "LCD-less digi-cam" ideas. :D Okay, seriously, I use Wacom 12" Cintiq with a sketch software called "Sketchbook Pro" which has ruler and circle guide. I like this program a lot, cuz' ruler and circle guide are all I need. This is how my setup looks...
Cintiq.jpg
 
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jbrianfoto said:
This is fun. I have been thinking about this exact thing for about 3 years. I really like your drawing - basically an M4 or M2 - winding mechanism advances shutter only (use the M6 shutter box). The battery can go in where the film used to. It will last longer since it only powers the sensor and the meter (more reliable). Leica could use the M6 shell, baseplate would stay the same and would cover the battery, CF card slot (I'd like to see 2 CF card slots BTW). Maybe put a USB port under there too, so you can connect the body to your laptop or smart phone (to make setting selections like ISO, image type, ect). From the outside the camera would realy look just like an M series camera - you could call it the M$-D (for digital, of course). Finally, paint it in black enamel over a brass body. The could sell a pile of these if they could price them for at no more than $4000. Just my thoughts. Thanks for starting this thread !
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Thanks! Yep, I am gonna build some 3d mockups just to see how things look altogether. I doubt it will be priced below 4K tho :(
 
very nice updates to the design, juju. design path #1 interests me the most. other possibilities for the evf switch would be to move it away from the finder so that it could be actuated while your eye is already in position. the way it is now would require moving eye away from vf, click switch, move eye back. being able to toggle between ovf/evf without doing that would be great. nice work on this... you are showing your design skills well!
 
Thanks for your kind words and great ideas, Matt. I think I have a good solution for this, and will show it on the 3D mockup :)
 
Okay, here's the mockup I built. and the design looks just like an MP in a glimpse :confused: Well, the concept is to make a digital M camera operate like a film M, to make shooting experience simple and maybe more enjoyable to some.

Again, thanks to all of you for sharing your ideas and opinions. I really appreciate it. :)

Self-Design-Brief-05.jpg
 
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Thanks, John.
This idea can be an option of a la carte program!
You can simply check on "mp style everything" and uncheck "LCD screen" to spec an M9 :D
 
CK Dexter Haven said:
This is fun. I like the voice-controlled "HC-B" mode.
1. The only people who don't think they can learn something from seeing what they just did are narcissists who just can't acknowledge their own imperfection.
2. LCD review is no different from what professional commercial photographers have always used in the past 40 years: Polaroid proofing. The only difference is you no longer have to wait 120 seconds with models, grips, editors and art directors waiting, or while the artfully prepared soufflé withers under the lamps.
3. People who don't bracket, crop, or shoot multiple frames are essentially saying they always do it 'right' the first time. I can't recall, though, ever being impressed by the photographs of such people. But, they are legends in at least one person's mind, i suppose.
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250swb said:
A screenless digital camera so you can get back home and find you missed as many shots (focus off, bad composition, poor exposure) as when you used a film camera. That would make for a nostalgic experience, you could once again talk again about the one that got away, rather than the one you didn't try hard enough to get.

Removing the LCD is just negative ambition, making a camera less productive for the sake of form. If you don't want to look at the LCD don't, put some black tape over it, it will cost less than a whole new camera, and you can re-create the warm glow you get when you discover you missed focus on your best shot after a weeks work, or a four hundred mile drive, or a significant occasion in your life :rolleyes:

Steve
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I respectfully disagree with these sentiments which in my view only applies to pros and people who aspires to emulate them.

Trying hard to get an image has nothing to do with the ability to preview, it's a discipline brought about by paying attention and spending a lot of time practicing.

If LCD preview naturally gives you a boost in this regard, we'll see ten-thousand excellent, inspired, and sublime photos everywhere by now... we don't.

If LCD preview grants you a shortcut to master-level photography quickly, we'll by now see excellent photographers with vision and the ability to execute it creatively with dedication out of every street corner... we don't.

On the contrary, if we evaluate LCD preview's role on "It looked good on LCD, why is it blurry on the monitor" -syndrome, we'll quickly see the problem with it. Not to mention you end up editing when you're supposed to be shooting.

Therefore the yearning not to be hampered by instant preview so you don't lose your focus and timing is absolutely valid.

In fact, all the feedback you need is whether you take a picture successfully or not. And a simple thin (non-obstructive) LCD or LED strip with histogram will fit the bill just fine. Yes, you can tell if you leave your lens cap on :)

So I applaud JuJu's design. If there is a camera manufacturer thinking outside of the box that is willing to give this a shot, I'll support them. Hear that Ricoh? Olympus?
 
shadowfox said:
So I applaud JuJu's design. If there is a camera manufacturer thinking outside of the box that is willing to give this a shot, I'll support them. Hear that Ricoh? Olympus?
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I hear that... but I would think it would come from one of the rangefinder manufactuers that are still making rangefinders today...
 
@Will: Thanks for your comments :)

I really like the design of Contax II and Nikon SP, but Contax is gone and Nikon has walked away from RF. So, at this point, only Leica, Zeiss and VC are still making rangefinders. Maybe a digital Ikon?
 
Awesome drawings and ideas. The people that are opposed make me laugh. You are not campaigning to end current M9 production...correct? It is indeed a niche camera and I want one! Personally I think the histogram idea is a bit too much...my M6 doesn't have a histogram and it still takes pictures. Even the battery life gauge is too much imo. Perhaps just an "apple style 5 led" readout on the inside of the bottom plate at the push of a hidden button next to the battery. Plus, battery life shouldn't be such an issue if you do have an advance lever and no LCD. I would love an m6/mp style digital with no LCD at all. If you really want the shot...bracket! Put in a 64 gig card and review your triumph at home in Lightroom. Keep up the good work!
 
JuJu said:
Okay, here's the mockup I built. and the design looks just like an MP in a glimpse :confused: Well, the concept is to make a digital M camera operate like a film M, to make shooting experience simple and maybe more enjoyable to some.

Again, thanks to all of you for sharing your ideas and opinions. I really appreciate it. :)

Self-Design-Brief-05.jpg
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gorgeous.
I want it :D
 
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