Dawid Loubser
Member
This is an interesting development: On the one hand very good, as it will pave the way (finally!) for high-quality compact cameras with interchangeable lenses. The down side is further confusion, yet another lens mount to 'dilute' the market, etc.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0808/08080501microfourthirds.asp
Right, so here is what I want to know (and I welcome all speculation): What, oh what, are the two extra electronic pins in the lens mount for? As somebody who eats and sleeps software, I know that using even a couple of pins, you can already convey vast amounts of information, especially considering that (to my understanding) the four-thirds mount uses a digital (network-like) protocol to communicate between camera and lens, making possible the interesting current features such as firmware updates for lenses applied via the camera body, or things such as being able to reverse the rotational direction of the focusing ring via settings.
Now, I am really not a fan of any electronic viewfinder camera I have yet touched, but this new mount paves the way (especially with the short flange-to-sensor distance) to a great new range-finder platform. Current rangefinders (like Leica M-series) use a precise mechanical coupling between the lens and the body to effect rangefinder focusing on the body: Is it possible that the extra two pins may be used to convey accurate, real-time focusing information to a (motorised) optical rangefinder in the body?
This would be rangefinder- camera heaven: Calibration could be easy (since it'd all be in software, no need to be a swiss watch-maker to do this), it could be even smaller than any Leica M, and (best of all, assuming you don;t need wide-angle lenses) the flange-to-sensor distance is a mere 20mm, much shorter than Leica M's 27.8 mm.
So, if you are actually comfortable with an EVIL (no-optical-path-to-your-eye) camera, there is no need to even construct such an elaborate rangefinder camera: It will be trivial to construct an adaptor to put the amazing M lenses on a smaller and (heck, it'd be near impossible for it not to be) better (in the electronics department) body than an M8. Use the amazing Oly lenses for wide-angle, and imagine a Summilux 35mm f/1.4 for a top-quality 70mm f/1.4, downright amazing lens on your small digital camera. Or a Summilix 50mm f/1.4 for a great, small portrait lens.
I really am in two minds about this: It's either not a great move (in the long term) or, it'll make wonderful photographic experiences possible in ways not foreseen yesterday. I cant wait to see this pan out.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0808/08080501microfourthirds.asp
Right, so here is what I want to know (and I welcome all speculation): What, oh what, are the two extra electronic pins in the lens mount for? As somebody who eats and sleeps software, I know that using even a couple of pins, you can already convey vast amounts of information, especially considering that (to my understanding) the four-thirds mount uses a digital (network-like) protocol to communicate between camera and lens, making possible the interesting current features such as firmware updates for lenses applied via the camera body, or things such as being able to reverse the rotational direction of the focusing ring via settings.
Now, I am really not a fan of any electronic viewfinder camera I have yet touched, but this new mount paves the way (especially with the short flange-to-sensor distance) to a great new range-finder platform. Current rangefinders (like Leica M-series) use a precise mechanical coupling between the lens and the body to effect rangefinder focusing on the body: Is it possible that the extra two pins may be used to convey accurate, real-time focusing information to a (motorised) optical rangefinder in the body?
This would be rangefinder- camera heaven: Calibration could be easy (since it'd all be in software, no need to be a swiss watch-maker to do this), it could be even smaller than any Leica M, and (best of all, assuming you don;t need wide-angle lenses) the flange-to-sensor distance is a mere 20mm, much shorter than Leica M's 27.8 mm.
So, if you are actually comfortable with an EVIL (no-optical-path-to-your-eye) camera, there is no need to even construct such an elaborate rangefinder camera: It will be trivial to construct an adaptor to put the amazing M lenses on a smaller and (heck, it'd be near impossible for it not to be) better (in the electronics department) body than an M8. Use the amazing Oly lenses for wide-angle, and imagine a Summilux 35mm f/1.4 for a top-quality 70mm f/1.4, downright amazing lens on your small digital camera. Or a Summilix 50mm f/1.4 for a great, small portrait lens.
I really am in two minds about this: It's either not a great move (in the long term) or, it'll make wonderful photographic experiences possible in ways not foreseen yesterday. I cant wait to see this pan out.