What new Voigtlander RF or SLR product would you like to see?

[ernesto]

Thank You Huss

In my opinion camera design was frozen for 20 years because of the technology shift from film to digital.

Now the digital technology is starting to stabilize, and the innovation process in camera design can be continued for the first time in those 20 years.

Curved sensors, better digital viewfinders, better resolution and all kind of developments surpassed the minimum requirement of the consumer mass camera market, and now the industry is ready to contunue the original path.

In addition the consumer camera market is dissapearing due to cell phones, so the only viable market for photographic equipment from now on, will be the profesional and serious amateur.

I am anxious to see what companies as Cosina-Voightlander will do, since they are small enough to adapt to the revolutionary changes in the photo equipment market.

Main SRL brands are so big, that they cannot addapt to the fast changes, and they probably will react lately with drastic conequences in their bussiness.

Creativity will never die, and the powerfull companies use to believe they have the control, so they want not to change.

 

[A.S.]

Considering how much used advanced compacts are going for these days, how about an aperture priority auto focusing point & shoot built around the 35/2.5 Skopar or 40/2.8 Heliar?

 

[Peter_S]

An Ultron 24mm f/1.8 that is on the same level as the excellent 21mm Ultron.

 

[TerryMcC]

Considering how much used advanced compacts are going for these days, how about an aperture priority auto focusing point & shoot built around the 35/2.5 Skopar or 40/2.8 Heliar?

Yes, please

 

[rfshark]

Digital Rangefinder - with some innovations

Digital Rangefinder - with some innovations

A digital RF along the lines of Fuji X-Pro series but with a full-frame sensor and Leica M mount.

Full frame sensor technology has finally reached some level of maturity. Thanks to Sony, high resolution, high dynamic range full frame sensors are available at reasonable price. Sensor resolution and dynamic range has reached a point where it is not necessary to upgrade a camera just because there is slightly better sensor or image processing technology within a year or two. Even in the much more dynamic and competitive DSLR market, Canon 5D Mark iii was the flagship product for 4.5 years. A 5 year life-span should be sufficient to justify investment in the full-frame digital RF market where volumes would be lower - and the (only) competitor is formidable Leica.

There are already some technology options to make full-frame sensors more friendly to RF lenses - like the Kolari thin filters. The next step may be a some changes to the micro lens structure improve corner and edge image quality and vignetting.

Both Fuji and Canon appear to have made their mirrorless systems more APS-C centric, so they will have some challenges entering the full-frame RF market as they would have to develop a new range of lenses. Full frame SLR lenses could be used with an adapter but kind of clumsy and ugly solution, especially for a RF.

First, most electronic viewfinders out there are pretty poor. If the OLED technology, it is entirely possible to build "retina" resolution electronic viewfinders with big (think 1.0x magnification) bright image. I don't know why camera makers keep putting 1024x768 viewfinders in the age of 4K TVs. IMHO, electronic viewfinder resolution should be at least half the linear resolution of the sensor.

There is room for even further innovation. For example, high resolution camera chips are dirt cheap. This should technically make it possible to build a digital rangefinder system. The small rangefinder image that is projected in the middle of the optical viewfinder can be generated by a cell-phone camera chip which is rotated by an electronic (instead of mechanical) system. This would make it possible to eliminate much of the complexity associated with the purely optical rangefinder implementation.

In addition to focus peaking, if the sensor already has phase detection mechanism, it may be possible to provide some kind of graphical focus aid information on the sensor (like the Fuji X-Pro system)

Of course, even though this would infuriate many hard core RF enthusiasts ,
built in AF support for Leica M mount lenses (basically Techpro built into camera body)

 

[stevierose]

Considering how much used advanced compacts are going for these days, how about an aperture priority auto focusing point & shoot built around the 35/2.5 Skopar or 40/2.8 Heliar?

Another second for this! Or an updated version of a compact, fixed lens RF camera like the Oly 35 RD or Canonet G-III 17 that has Aperture priority, higher shutter speeds, and uses a modern battery would be great.

 

[Gary E]

Another second for this! Or an updated version of a compact, fixed lens RF camera like the Oly 35 RD or Canonet G-III 17 that has Aperture priority, higher shutter speeds, and uses a modern battery would be great.

I'd double down for the modern battery and triple down on that 40/2.8. A modern Olympus 35 would be super.

I know Mr. K said he was not interested in digital, but if he's going to make so many lenses for other digital mounts and discontinue his film bodies then might as well jump in with an updated Epson RF. Be different and leave in the winder for manual winding for each shot; definitely will be a niche camera but I'll buy two.

 

[LukeBanks]

I know the original post in this thread asked about lenses, but the years have rolled by and VC have released some incredible glass in that time.

For me, it is the perfect time for the illusive digital Bessa many of us dream of. As mentioned above, developments in the market and technology should bring this closer to being possible.

- Bessa body (bigger if necessary to accommodate parts)
- Full frame sensor (nothing too big, 12mp would suffice. CCD would blow my mind)
- 1:1 VF from the R3A (something more standard if it allows better sales etc)
- No need for modern tech such as EVF, LCD, focus peaking etc
- M mount

I would snap up one (maybe two!) of those instantly. And if Mr. Kobayashi is still listening then I'll even move to Japan and put in a shift to make it happen 😉

If it was done well then a digital Bessa could quite easily become a Leica killer for a lot of people.

 

[Dante_Stella]

How about a multiformat/focal length viewfinder with an internal level? Bonus points for shift capability. Think Silvestri 1080B.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

35 and 50 1.7 ASPH VM with new and regular bodies. Like 35 1.4, 35 2.5 VM and 50 2.5 LTM.

Or at least focus tab option and also made for 50, 40 and 35 f1.1/1.2 just like Ultron 28 1.9 has. I have seen it added to 50 Summilux which was in use by some known photographer.

 

[johannielscom]

A new run of Minifinders would be nice though. Those things go for crazy money by now.

I'd also take a few new screw mount lenses, maybe a new run of the 50mm 2.5 Color-Skopar and a matching design 35mm 2.5. And what about another run of 28mm 3.5 Color-Skopars? Those lenses are expensive too by now. Oh, and best of the bunch would be a 35mm 1.4 screw mount lens of Summilux proportions.

Either of the above lenses in nickel (!) or black paint or chrome would be very nice.


I have and love the nickel Heliar 50mm 2.0, that lens was modelled after the rigid Summar and it is just so nice to shoot, and very sharp. A wider companion in nickel would be awesome!

 

[Huss]

Considering how much used advanced compacts are going for these days, how about an aperture priority auto focusing point & shoot built around the 35/2.5 Skopar or 40/2.8 Heliar?

I love this idea.

 

[jsrockit]

I'm with you Huss.

 

[bluesun267]

Second on johannielscom--

Cosina, don't forget your (new) roots started in the long-abandoned (and now re-abandoned) LTM market.

Bring back:

The 28/35 mini-finder--pleeeeeeease

And: just a few key lenses in LTM. There is a market for compact , quality glass, and we don't need more collectors items. Worried about M-users not buying? Just include the adapter with the lens. I'd pay for it even though I don't need it.

Also, there is some idea out there that LTM lenses have to be limited by the 1m close focus of Barnacks. Not true as you yourselves proved with the 50/2.5. As an LTM user I'd rather have the close focus ability even if I lose rangefinder coupling.

The exclusive concentration on M mount is an unnecessary limitation and abandonment of one market for the *perceived* convenience of another IMO.

 

[struene]

That pretty much summs it up, too bad it stays a dream....

https://photorumors.com/2018/04/01/..._campaign=Feed:+PhotoRumors+(PhotoRumors.com)

 

[Dez]

A new Epson Digital RF, in full frame, with 24-36 MP resolution; basically an M10 that can be afforded by mere mortals.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

A new Epson Digital RF, in full frame, with 24-36 MP resolution; basically an M10 that can be afforded by mere mortals.

Cheers,
Dez

As a mere mortal, I concur.

 

[Imagesfromobjects]

Love the idea of a 12mp FF digital Bessa. I'll probably be shooting my Sony a7S until it falls apart, because I personally don't see a need for more megapixels, and LOVE the "juicy" files and low light performance from a camera with this pixel pitch.

Being a hybrid film/digital shooter who uses manual lenses exclusively, I don't think I'll ever fall into Sony's target demographic, and I'm guessing this is true for many on this particular forum. However, your average DPReview user is after 50+ megapixels, faster af bursts, triple card slots and 240fps 6K video or whatever.

There is some sentiment that Sony could please a niche user base by releasing a FF camera in an a6xx-sized body, assuming they forego IBIS, but this is a minority opinion, so who knows if it'll happen. E mount CV lenses are gaining a cult following, so maybe a partnership to develop a manual-focus friendly, stripped-down FF body is not out of the realm of possibility? Sony could handle the sensor, Cosina could build the body and the M10 could get a not-so-gentle spanking if it's released at a rational price point.

Just dreaming here, don't mind me.....

 

[Imagesfromobjects]

VM 90mm f2.5 or thereabouts. Nice, compact and <$1000AUD - a modern companion for my 'fat' Tele-Elmarit 🙂

YES, please.

Also, an M (and E?) mount Skopar 28/3.5.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

A fast, compact 90mm.

The new 75/f1.5 Nokton looks great, but I’d like something that fits my M2 framelines 🙂