Leica New Leica System

i would be so psyched if this meant autofocus for M lenses, like how the old Contax AX film cam gave new AF life to Contax manual focus Zeiss lenses. but i dont think thats what theyre talking about, is it?
 
It would make sense. New autofocus system, compatible with legacy M lenses. As you go, add the new autofocus lenses, OIS for the long focal lengths.

Leica design and finishing, Panasonic electronics where they add performance.

More "M," "Q," "X" sensibility than "T."

There would be a lot to like about this, I'd think better than average chances this is the new system. Pricing a tad lower than the M, as there will not be a rangefinder.

I'd be surprised and tickled to see a vari-angle EVF as on the GX8, but that's not as likely.
 
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OK, farther-fetched would be a compact, medium-frame fixed-lens "Q" but that would be something to lust after. Would be priced appropriately: too darned rarefied for most of us. Heh!
 
i would consider their crazy camera price if this is actually a 'do it all' machine. fully analogue like an M, some rf-like focusing mechanism thats not dependent on 'peaking' or magnification for manual focus, auto focus, adaptability for other lenses along the line of mirrorless capability, and low light ability to 6400, yeah i'm in at their typically punitive pricing.
 
I would be happier if Leica concentrated it's efforts on the M rangefinder system, brought prices down. I cannot help but think that too many camera systems will cut development and firmware support too thin. Firmware support for fixing bugs in the M Monochrom and M-E has been awful, discreet mode comes to mind. With a new M right around the corner, I think Leica's resources needs to be more focused and "not all over the place" as we have seen with the "T" and others. Bringing out a new Q with a 40~45 lens might be reasonable, but an Autofocus lens system for a full-frame camera- that will stretch Leica too thin.
 
More on new Leica:
http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/coming-soon-an-interchangeable-lens-version-of-the-leica-q-with-af-lenses-due-out-in-time-for-photo-plus-in-october
Coming soon: An interchangeable lens version of the Leica Q, with AF lenses. Due out in time for Photo Plus, in October.

This will not be the replacement to the M240, but rather a new system with new AF lenses, bulkier than the Q or M lines, with an EVF and lighter build despite the bulk. Sensor will be similar, if not the same, as the Q's sensor. Anticipate that it will come bundled with a 50 mm f/2 Summicron lens and retail around $8,000 USD. Build quality will be comparable to the M line and Q line...much of the Q's tech, including in body image stabilization, electronic shutter, and built in high res EVF, will be included. The camera may harken in design to Leicaflex bodies of years gone by...like a bulkierX T-1 with more simplified layout. This may end up being called the new "R" camera and may well take old R lenses via adapter, along with new AF R lenses. Not sure that it will take M lenses.

Anticipate that Leica will begin to simplify options, but canceling the T line and possibly the X-line. What will remain are the DLux, VLux, M, Q, S lines...
 
kudos to leica for thinking outside the box. retraction of those kudos and much head-shaking if it is true that the new system is not compatible with leica's singular and indisputable legacy: M lenses.
 
I guess they could replace the RF Roller with electrodes for Af M-Mount lenses? Use EVF for manual focus M-Mount lenses.

It had better be M-Mount compatible, similar to what Nikon did for the F-Mount. I've used a Nikkor 25cm F4 Manual Focus telephoto from 1952 on my Df, via N->F adapter. There is no good reason to introduce an entirely new mount for the Q when the M-Mount should be perfect for it.
 
During this summer break, all the virtual world is full of rumours about the new Leica, even with dates such as September 12th... EVF yes, EVF no, AF yes, AF no... Some new interesting details have appeared that will be included in the new system, or not...

FxVQZrh.jpg

Seen in Patent DE102012009975A1 - Opto-electronic rangefinder integrated camera, has pick-up modules comparing ... - Google Patents

Almost in 2015 already, a Leica patent was published (and this is not very usual lately), in which a new rangefinder camera was defined including an electronic rangefinder based in phase detection (as the AF of reflex cameras) projected in an optical (at least, if not hybrid) viewfinder. The reflex AF is a rangefinder based on the base distance of approximate the lens width, in this Leica patent, the base distance is the one between the rangefinder sensors and lenses (5 and 6 in fig.1) and we all know that the rangefinder precision is based on this base distance multiplied by magnification... see the link for extended details...

It seems that the sensor could be from a "new kid on the block", as the one in the Q, TPSCo (TowerJazz Panasonic Semiconductor Co. Ltd) from Israel. There is very little info, but this company has an interesting technology that inserts a light pipe in the sensor in order to channel more photons down to the silicon gaining a huge amount of QE (the known quantum efficiency), for some sensors they claim more than 70% of QE (the KAF-18500 of the M9 has much less than 50%)... this would imply probably second to none sensibility...

qMZ0LFL.jpg

Seen in https://www.tpsemico.com/technology#tab_cis

Well, we will soon see in what crystallizes all of this... soon in our theatre... ;)
 
The QE measurement of the KAF-18500 includes the loss due to the RGB Mosaic Filter and IR Absorbing glass. The measurement is literally the number of photons falling on the sensor stack versus those getting absorbed. If you used a full-spectrum KAF-18500 monochrome sensor, the QE would be >95%. Most manufacturers use the number of photons after the Mosaic filter hitting the detector as the starting point.
 
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