On 9/24/2013 9:02 PM, Larry Colen wrote:
What if the new high end, full frame sensor, camera coming from
Ricoh were not a Pentax mount, but a Leica mount? Ideally a mount
that is mechanically compatible with traditional Leica glass, but
with contacts for autofocus etc. And what if, just for the hell
of it, they also sold an adapter that allowed use of K-mount lenses
in full auto focus? Even if it were just full autofocus on the SDM
lenses.
When you get down to it, Ricoh does almost sound like Leica said
with a Japanese accent.
Why would you need AF, Larry? No, seriously, Leica M-mount is inherently
manual focus. The idea of mounting something like DA* 16-50 on a camera
that small is bizarre to me. There is already a variety of
K-mount-to-M-mount adapters, one of which I have and which works
wonderfully in terms of aperture control and ease of ergonomics.
I don't know though in terms of business, agreements, royalties and
patents, whether your idea would make sense to Ricoh business people.
We've just returned from the trip to Holland, Germany and Belgium where
we met some wonderful PDMLers. I should tell you that my photo bag had
no AF lenses, and in fact no Pentax gear whatsoever, beside little P&S
camera that Anat used all along. The thought that AF might benefit me
never crossed my mind Well, I admit, I got lazy in the wineries in the
region between Cologne/Bonn and Koblenz and so I used the AF modules.
Galia used AF modules most of the time. Her pics are lovely. So are mine
(allowing myself a certain amount of immodesty here)...
Honestly and may be somewhat brutally I am thinking that Pentax/Ricoh
should put limits as to how unusual their gear might be. Niche approach
is good, but the niche has to enjoy sufficient market demand nonetheless...
Also, technically, either your idea will give birth to something fairly
frankenstatic :-) or you will loose at least some of the backward
compatibility with older lenses. Just imagine the variety of mount
version (in terms of exposure control and AF) that the adapter you
suggest would have to support. The idea that some of
electronics/mechanics necessary to operate K-mount lenses will be
present in M-mount body is pretty alien to my mind, however limited the
said mind may be.
Boris
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