The official Leica Press release on new lens info for M8

[rolopix]

There is a anti-vignetting variable in the software, for the wides ?

bertram

Yep, it's called Adobe Camera Raw. This M8 thingy is going to produce .DNG RAW files, isn't it?

rs

 

[Pico]

How about a gentleman's bet that it's a hoax?

H O A X ?

The date is 06/06/06 (666) and it uses a strange word length of 6 bits.

Dunno. It's worth a beer bet.

 

[blakley]

OK, Pico - I'll take that bet. Loser pays to have the winner's lens of choice fitted with Leica dots?

 

[Pico]

OK, Pico - I'll take that bet. Loser pays to have the winner's lens of choice fitted with Leica dots?

Heck, I'll dot it for you! 😛

We can even make dot-hack decals until we hack the chip.

 

[Bob Ross]

There is a anti-vignetting variable in the software, for the wides ?

bertram

Besides correction of fall off, some lenses that are excellent on film, do new trcks on digital such as chromatic aberration, lateral chromatic aberration and because of the reflectivity of the sensor surface, a strange red dot in the center of the image (flare?). This is not to say that our Summicrons will behave strangely on digital, but things like this could be handled by firmware using a look up table using the mount codes or going into the menus (hopefully). I have found that digital can sort a lens collection better than any film could. I suspect Leica and/or their beta testers have encountered most of the anomolies. Let's hope they can identify where we might encounter image quality problems using non-coded lenses. I have gone through this with my E-1 and KM5D DSLRs with a collection of legacy lenses.

 

[Bertram2]

. Let's hope they can identify where we might encounter image quality problems using non-coded lenses. I have gone through this with my E-1 and KM5D DSLRs with a collection of legacy lenses.

I bet they do not intend to code afterwards any non-leica lenses. The digital world, a nice opportunity to go back to the happy times of proprietary solutions. 😀 Will work only if the coding soon turns out to be a real feature and not a marketing gimmick.

bertram

 

[MP Guy]

Pico,

This came on an original Leica Letter. I can scan it and post it but it is legit. Here is a link to the PDF

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/image_dir/rff_uploads/leica.pdf

 

[Pico]

Wow! I owe someone a beer.

This might be the first digital camera I buy.

Thank you, Sir!

 

[Bob Ross]

I bet they do not intend to code afterwards any non-leica lenses. The digital world, a nice opportunity to go back to the happy times of proprietary solutions. 😀 Will work only if the coding soon turns out to be a real feature and not a marketing gimmick.

bertram

I'm sure that you are right about non-Leica lenses. When Oly provided an adapter for using their old OM lenses on the E-1, it came with a list showing which lenses and apertures would produce acceptible results. The list was fairly accurate for my old lenses. At least Leica's approach may be open to hacking and self application.....where did I put my Moto Tool?... 🙂
I wonder if some of the beta testers, who might do write ups/reviews, like Erwin Puts with the M7, might be asked to refrain from commenting on non-Leica lens compatibility, for a time. This feature of the M8 personality will be fun to watch unfold.

 

[sdai]

does this mean there can be no more claims for leica glass characteristics?

I absolutely agree ... there'll be many folks (re)discover Leica. 😀

 

[egpj]

Leica is such utter BS IMO. They could have just made it a menu selection without you having to ship your glass off and get it milled. But the release implies that you will not get the software tweaking if you do not get your lenses milled. Maybe I am not reading it correctly. I f I am ....

You know what Leica, you can keep that M8.

 

[LCT]

...The date is 06/06/06 (666) and it uses a strange word length of 6 bits...

... and the PDF file has been created at 06:59. 🙄
Best,
LCT

 

[Peter Klein]

Hey, John Camp, great minds think alike!

I posted this on the LUG yesterday:

"Now, anyone want to take bets on how long it will be before a do-it-yourself lens upgrade method gets posted on the Web? Something involving a rat-tailed file, a micrometer, and nail polish stolen from your Goth-girl daughter or girlfriend . . . "

:angel:

--Peter

 

[rvaubel]

Personally, I hope that the 6 bit data just references the focal lenght of the lens and maximum apeture. That will give us all the EXIF data we need. And I much prefer that the milled dots do the communication rather than a menu in the camera. The whole point of an analog expererience with a digital rangefinder is to minimize as much as possible any use of menus and toggle buttons and any other non-intutive camera functions. At least Epson got it right on that score.
I don't see how, with only 6 bits of information, issues of vignetting much less lateral color, can possible be addressed by the lens. Nor would I want the camera/lens to be making these desicions for me.
I turn all the auto stuff off anyway. However, the EXIF information would be nice.

Rex

 

[Mark Norton]

I think this is pretty much what we have been talking about. I certainly agree with the point about image optimisation being limited if you do not know the working aperture. So the lenses are going to have ROM chips after all, except this ROM has only 6 bits and the chips are paint chips, not silicon chips.

I am surprised they are saying the new processing cannot be used if there are no dots, they could have put a menu in the camera with the supported lens types listed from which you select the lens you use, plus a "recent lenses" list to allow you to rapidly select the lens you are using.

I'm slightly disappointed this is not being used for frameline selection as well because that indicates the bayonet lug will continue to be used which suggests we won't be moving to a world of single frame lines, new frame lines for lenses such as the 21mm and so on.

As regard the modification cost, I think it's a pretty modest charge but still 700 euros for me to have mine modified. I'm wondering whether they will doctor your own lens mount or simply replace it with a new one. More likely a new one I would have thought to streamline the workflow.

 

[J. Borger]

Keep in mind that the M8 will be used and bought by a lot of people who have ZERO experience with digital cameras. Those people will judge the M8 on bases of the in camera processed off camera files ... not the files they can get by spending a lot of time learning how to get the most out of a raw file.
I can already hear the complaints about vignetting and soft files zoomed in on screen at 100%, the dissapointing on-line samples, too high noise levels at higher isos and soft corners shooting a brick-wall .. .... the complaints have already begun and the camera is not released yet.
For those who do not want the auto-stuff ... i bet there will be no reason at all to get the contacts into the lenses. Just waite and see.
I prefer my older lenses .. those not on the upgradable list .......anyway to my latest crons/ ASPH lenses ..... so the performance (resolutionwise) will probably not be up to Leica's modern cq. general digital standards anyway.. ... so what??

 

[nksyoon]

The raw converter software that comes with the camera should have the option of selecting the lens and shooting aperture used, and applying the corrections at the raw conversion stage. And also having the option to accept default corrections for a certain lens or reduce/increase the corrections being applied.

 

[jaapv]

I'm a bit puzzled as to the remark about the 135 3.4 apo. Why should an extension factor of 1.33 make the 3.4 unusable and not the older 4.0 for instance? I suppose they are referring to the fact that rangefinders are less than optimal for focussing beyond 135 mm lenses, but the use of a thing like the Okular 1.25 should be a useable workaround.

 

[rvaubel]

J. Borger
Good point about the average user wanting good quality right out of the camera. I stand corrected as being a little bit to elitist in my distain for the "auto everything" processing of the in camera image. I am not asking that a popular and necessary feature like this not be included in the camera design, I only ask that it can be turned OFF.
I guess a little tape over the dots could go a long way.

Rex

 

[J. Borger]

Rex,

I hear you ... i never shot a jpeg with any digital camera myself ... so i just hope for and count on the raw converter with all the options Nick suggests.