ZI digital - any news

[flatop222]

Since ZI lenses are optmized for digital photography, does anyone have any info on the ZI digital camera? Is it a real possibility or is it vaporware?

I am ready for a digital RF but I don't want to do anything until ZI makes some kind of announcement or leaks some info about the sensor specifications.

George

[back alley]

their website says no digital till a full frame sensor is a possibilty.

there is no zeiss digital.

[espressogeek]

Full frame tech is available! But not affordable :-( . Unless you consider the 5d afforable. I am glad that Leica will do something at least better than a 1.5 crop.

[dogless]

Still no news from Zeiss on a digital ikon? 5 grand for an M8?Sounds like an 'easy' mark to hit for a Zeiss with a FF sensor. They must be currently working on the design. What if they could produce this FF D-ikon by summer '07? It would rain on Leica's parade, perhaps stealing market share for a digital RF they have yet to produce. Come on Zeiss! What's up?

[sf]

Originally Posted by espressogeek

Full frame tech is available! But not affordable :-( . Unless you consider the 5d afforable. I am glad that Leica will do something at least better than a 1.5 crop.

ha ha.. . . .

5D is very affordable compared the the M8 which is NOT full frame. I think Zeiss could probably come up with a camera for less than $5000 that would be full frame. THe 5D is only $3000, I think.

[Nachkebia]

shutterflower : I wanted to say same thing, but I got hold of myself

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by espressogeek

Full frame tech is available! But not affordable :-( . Unless you consider the 5d afforable. I am glad that Leica will do something at least better than a 1.5 crop.

Sorry, that is incorrect. It is technically impossible at the moment to use a larger sensor than 27 mm when the lens-film distance is (like on a RF) less than 30 mm, at least, if one wants to use wideangle lenses. It might interest you to read THIS thread. Leica has stated in the last LFI that they will offer a 35 mm sensor as and when the technology becomes available. So will Zeiss, I presume.

[Nachkebia]

Yes, but it will be updatable? I mean if some scientist comes up full frame sensor, leica has to do M9? or there will be an update possibility? send it to leica for 2 weeks and pay another $5000

[jaapv]

The remark in LFI seemed to imply it would be a new camera again

[Nachkebia]

Which means leica looses its own brand equity.... just becoming like everybody else

[dogless]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Sorry, that is incorrect. It is technically impossible at the moment to use a larger sensor than 27 mm when the lens-film distance is (like on a RF) less than 30 mm, at least, if one wants to use wideangle lenses. It might interest you to read THIS thread. Leica has stated in the last LFI that they will offer a 35 mm sensor as and when the technology becomes available. So will Zeiss, I presume.

So what you do is ya place micro lenses on the pixels located on the perimeter of the sensor outside the 27mm limit. These lenses would tilt/move into place to redirect light more favorable to the sensor when a wide angle lens is being used. What's the problem? ;-)

[jaapv]

That you would need about four million little motors

[jaap]

I really don,t understand why one should buy such a small frame digi M8 or what ever they call it. While having a beautifull MP or M7 or M6. Buy yourself a scanner and you''l have a gigapixel full frame camera and a beautifull film camera

[jaapv]

I have been scanning yesterday night and I hate it. It eats time and you never,never get the quality of a good digital sensor ( or Cibachrome print for that matter) I already have a beautiful M6 and I'm not selling it, don't you worry.But let's not hijack this thread into a Leica thread. There is a Leica digital forum.

[Nachkebia]

I have to agree with jaapv on this, scanning does not give quality that can compare with digital sensor...

[jaap]

all i mean is you shouldn,t be to easily satisfied with a digital camerai. In my opninion there are a few good digi's and that are the ones with a full frame sensor. A full frame sensor is the least we may ask from the ïnventor from the 24mm*36mm camera !

[Nachkebia]

I am not satisfied with digital camera at all! but that does not make scanning any better

[jaap]

it's true it takes skills to make a good scan. it's something i discovered yesterday again

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by jaap

all i mean is you shouldn,t be to easily satisfied with a digital camerai. In my opninion there are a few good digi's and that are the ones with a full frame sensor. A full frame sensor is the least we may ask from the ïnventor from the 24mm*36mm camera !

Arguably the best, and at any rate one of the best is the DMR with a 1.4 sensor.....

[Nachkebia]

jaap : Can I see your best scan? (100% crop) I can show you digital files from Fuji F30, Nikon D70s, D200 and we can compare... (btw I hate digital)
Though slides scan very nicely, color and BW negatives are not up there, maybe drumscaner would be nice

[telenous]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Sorry, that is incorrect. It is technically impossible at the moment to use a larger sensor than 27 mm when the lens-film distance is (like on a RF) less than 30 mm, at least, if one wants to use wideangle lenses. It might interest you to read THIS thread. Leica has stated in the last LFI that they will offer a 35 mm sensor as and when the technology becomes available. So will Zeiss, I presume.

That is what I 've read too. If a full frame technological advance for rangefinders could be seriously anticipated for the not-so-distant future, I expect the Leica people would have waited for it. Leica took a measured risk by opting for a sensor with a crop factor, effectively betting against the feasibility of a full frame one for rangefinders in the near future. If Zeiss were to prove them wrong, by bringing out a cheaper, full frame digital rangefinder it would be a blow for the marketability of the M8. But even in this distant and highly speculative scenario, both digital rangefinders could happily coexist

[jaap]

here's just one from our familie trips to amsterdam
contax g2 45mm planar

[kully]

Nachkebia, it depends on what type of C41 your scanning. For me and my Nikon V ED Konica stuff is baad. Superia 400 has lots of noise. But Superia 200 is better and 100 is better still.

Reala 100 I tried for the first time last week - outstanding.

EDIT: And Ilford XP2 - scans lovely too.

[Paul T.]

Is it really technical impossible to use anything larger than a 27mm sensor? I read that thread and saw there were lots of reasons why it's difficult, but didn't see any physics that demonstrated why it's impossible.

In any case, I would like Zeiss to introduce a digital ZI soon, with a 1.3 sensor if that gets them to market more quickly. I didn't see anything on their website where they talked specifically about full frame, would love to see the reference. I have noted them mention that at the moment digital sensors are not up to the quality of their glass... but I suspect that's BS.

I really, really hope they are working hard on this, but I have a nasty feeling they're not - we've already seen their talent for announcing products a full year before they're ready to shop. Still, part of me hopes they're planning a sploiler announcement and will display a mockup DZI just as Leica reveal the M8 at Photokina. The digital ZI could well be superior to an equivalent spec M8, because of its longer rangefinder base. But I suspect one problem will simply be who will build the camera.

[Nachkebia]

jaap : and? have you tried to print that image at A3?
kully : I scan with Nikon Coolscan 5000 and even if I scan velvia 50, technical quality is not up to even 6 megapixel digital camera (god forbid I am not saying digital is better)