[LRflex] Re: Patent by Steven K. Lee

At 29/01/2007, you wrote:
>Hello David (Good afternoon from Hannover)
>The only other way I see for AF is some sort of "Motorised AF Muff" to
>go between the camera and the existing lenses, and linking up to the
>focussing ring.
>I envisage this as being an extremely ugly solution

Wow!  That would, indeed, be "ugly"!

I was thinking more of a "motorized muff", that was connected to a 
standard "R" mount, though with, perhaps, a few more contacts for the 
AF functions. Existing optical designs would then be built into new, 
trim, lens barrels which would be inserted into the "muff".  In this 
way, the finished "lenses" would appear very little different from 
what they do now.

With this method, Leica could sell us a new "muff" and an entirely 
new set of lenses ... thus increasing profits. But, for those who do 
not wish to spend the money, or simply prefer MF lenses, the old 
lenses would still fit the camera's R mount.  Slick, huh?

Certainly, we know that "the money" is in lenses, not in cameras. 
Cameras are only a necessary evil to get us to buy the lenses.  This 
would do that whilst preserving our investment in the current glass. 
After all, what they don't want to do is try to gain a new user base, 
by throwing away their existing one... that would be a very dangerous strategy.

>  - Maybe Leica will go in a completely different direction - no 
> longer an SLR as we know it
>- like Rollei were brave enough to do with their radical, wonderful 
>to handle and versatile  SL2000F.

Given Leica's avowed goal to "revolutionize" the Reflex business in 
the manner that the M3 did for the RF market back in 1954, something 
revolutionary rather than evolutionary may well be in the cards.  So 
long as they allow me to use my existing glass (even if I have to buy 
an adapter) in "A" mode, I'll be happy with it, I'm sure.

Cheers!
---

David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA

Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/
Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt




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