Leica 75mm f/0.85
It has often been said that Leica missed the change to digital, that they got caught sitting on the laurels of their analog cameras. Dr. Andreas Kaufmann has a different opinion on this.
He said that this rumor has been going on for years and he pointed out that Leica already established a digital department back in 1994 and two years later showed their first digital camera, the Leica S1. At the Photokina during that time they did not show their entire portfolio, but almost only analog cameras. Each employee wore a button with the inscription: 'I am a www.filmdinosaurier.de'. Just that year, digital photography had its big breakthrough and Leica, from the small village in the middle of Germany, showed only analogue cameras. Since that time, the myth of sleepy digitization stubbornly persists.
Leica S1 from 1996 with the at that time unusually high resolution of 26 megapixel
Does he consider smart phones to be a competitive segment of photography?
Not at all. He looks at them as a supplement. Just recently Leica and Xiaomi announced a new mobile phone, the first product of their joint partnership. Leica is supplying a Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 ASPH camera system covering all three rear cameras: a 50.3-megapixel main camera (23mm, f/1.9), along with a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera (13mm, f/2.2) and a 48-megapixel periscopic camera (120mm, f/4.1). Both 48-megapixel cameras use a 1/2-inch Sony IMX586 sensor.
The 12S Series features a massive 1-inch, 50.3-megapixel Sony IMX989 main sensor. with a pixel size of 1.6um. This doubles to 3.2um via pixel binning for boosted color accuracy and low light performance. Unlike the Sony Xperia Pro-I, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra uses the entire portion of the 1-inch sensor.
Users will be able to switch between two photographic styles: Leica Authentic Look for natural-looking shots and Leica Vibrant Look which adds Xiaomi's input on vibrancy while preserving authenticity.
On the other side of the phone, there's a 32-megapixel selfie camera. Most of these cameras are capable of Dolby Vision HDR video recording (up to 4K@60fps) and playback, thus making the 12S Ultra the first Android device to sport these features. As for still shots, the entire 12S Series supports 10-bit RAW format calibrated by Adobe Labs, with color correction metadata embedded in the files for easier post-production with the likes of Adobe Lightroom.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is equipped with a three dimensional cooling pump which moves cooling liquid across warm surfaces for improved thermal conductivity.
The Xiaomi 12S Series is currently available for pre-ordering in China. The 12S Ultra is priced at approximately $900. The 12S Pro is less at $700. The 12S is the least expensive option, starting at $600.
He is looking forward to have as many as six camera systems in the phone. The so-called array system. One lens is responsible for the depth of field, the other only photographs red and so on. Together they give the quality of a big, powerful lens. The problem is that the processor is still missing, as well as the necessary algorithms. Nobody can do that yet. For example, their goal is to utilize the array system in a smartphone. They are working on that.
Dr. Kaufmann rejects the often heard claim that Leica is a luxury item, based on the cost.
The term luxury has something to do with abundance in Germany. However, Leica does not call themselves the superfluous but the essential. Their prices may seem luxurious, but there are several reasons for this: how they produce their lenses, how they make only small batches and how they use materials differently. Of course, for many it is a luxury item when they look at the price.
He was asked if it is correct that he often buys his Leica equipment at actual stores instead of getting it free at the company in Wetzlar.
Sometimes he gets some to try. But he bought about 60 percent of his 35 cameras himself. That is often very exciting. Not everyone knows him. On these occasions he is testing the service of a store right away. He does that often in the US, and in Europe. He has had the worst experiences at some of the large camera stores in New York. B & H is the largest camera dealer in the world. Whenever he asked to buy a Leica there, the sales person advised him that Leicas are too expensive, with the suggestion to buy a Canon because they are cheaper. That showed him that Leica is probably not in the right place with such stores anymore.
On the question if he had any ambition to do something entirely different, he answered that currently nothing is more fun than this job. Should he find something that he’ll enjoy even more, maybe. However, he is firmly convinced that it will remain a lot of fun for another ten or twenty years.
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I don't recognize the f/0.85 lens in the first picture at all. What is it?
ReplyDeleteIt is a 75mm f/.85 Summar which was used for x-ray photography. Photographs were taken directly off the x-ray screen. Since those images were not very bright, it required a lens of that relatively large maximum aperture. For more information on "The Fastest Lenses Leica Ever Made" goto: https://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-fastest-lenses-leica-ever-made.html
DeleteHow would you focus this lens? It seems that the large diameter blocks both the viewfinder and the rangefinder.
DeleteThese lenses were usually operated in a fixed position. The proper focusing distance could be measured with an accurate tape measure, for instance, and the distance then transferred to the lens.
DeleteI think Leica should stick to what they are known for-cameras. All else just takes away from it.
ReplyDeletePlease remember that such thinking could have easily prevented the Leica from coming into existence at all. When the question came up if the Leica camera should be produced and marketed, the argument was that Leica should stick to their core business, Microscopes. The opinion was that cameras were too far removed from what they were known for. Ultimately it was the farsightedness of Ernst Leitz II that allowed the Leica camera to see the light of day. The rest is history, as they say.
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