Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Digital Cameras & Shooting Techniques => Topic started by: BJL on October 09, 2003, 05:30:10 pm

Title: Panasonic digital rangefinder
Post by: BJL on October 09, 2003, 05:30:10 pm

A debate has raged at DPReview over how much this is like a Leica M. Given my great pessimism about there ever being a digital camera with true rangefinder focusing or any digital non-SLR with interchangeable lenses, this at least offers a few of the virtues of a rangefinder when compared to other digital cameras:

a) traditional control wheels on the lens barrel for focus, zoom and aperture setting, and even a traditional speed setting knob on top
 considerably smaller size than a DSLR, which is the only other option for getting (a).
c) A Leica lens; the debate now starts over whether it is a real Leica lens or one made under that name by Minolta (I have heard tha Minolta was also the maker of at least one Leica M or R series lens.)

In respect of the future of good digital cameras than are smaller than DSLR's, is there a future for sensor sizes to grow beyond 2/3" format in cameras like this new Panasonic/Leica? It would mainly take the making of a sensor in say 4/3 or "APS" size but with live preview output. I am puzzled why there is a huge factor of four jump in sensor areas between the biggest, most expensive fixed lens digicams and the smallest one with interchangeable lenses; especially since the cheapest of the latter (Canon 300D) costs less than some of the former (Sony 828).

Title: Panasonic digital rangefinder
Post by: victoraberdeen on October 11, 2003, 02:50:35 am

I live in hope - BJL...

This looks like a step in the right direction, and we could speculate that there will be a parallel to the duet Panasonic LC 5 and Leica Digilux 1.

If I were to dream, then a Contax G or Leica M with a full size sensor over 10meg and full color on each pixel. Then you can have the best optics and live preview – that would change the Digicam market.

Title: Panasonic digital rangefinder
Post by: BruceK on October 09, 2003, 11:17:04 am

Found this whilst browsing Fred Miranda's site: Lumix DMC-LC1 (http://www.letsgodigital.net/en/news/articles/story_440.html)  Looks like a  V E R Y  interesting camera, at least to me...

    Bruce

Title: Panasonic digital rangefinder
Post by: Jim Zipp on October 10, 2003, 01:55:41 pm

It shouldn't be too surprising that this resembles a Leica as Panasonic currently makes their Minox digital cameras.