Canon Digital Rangefinders Announcement during PMA 2010?
Canon Digital Rangefinders Announcement during PMA 2010?/
Canon Digital Rangefinders Announcement during PMA 2010? By Raphael Chieza
What is it you want to see at the PMA this year? Another marginally better DSLR? An EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) camera from Canon or Nikon? Or something else altogether? The answer is simple for me. Having played with the Leica M9 extensively when we had it for the review earlier, I have to say that an affordable full frame digital rangefinder may be the best product to hit the market since full frame DSLRs became more mainstream and affordable. Right now, Leica is in a market of one and those who’ve looked at the results know that a full frame digital rangefinder is honestly the biggest innovation and successful formula that Leica has come up with in recent years.
No disrespect to the M8 or M8.2 but I was not evenly remotely moved by them. Even with the M9, you still have the crappy “peripheral” features which just aren’t impressive. I mean, I like classic race cars as much as the other bloke but there is very little that could thrill me more than a state of the art modern race car with high tech digital rev meters and the rest of the works. The Leica M9 is unfortunately a beautiful V12 engine locked in a 100 year old classic race car body. Nothing wrong with that per se but if Canon made a digital rangefinder with a similar (or much likely better) sensor then we’ll see the engine in a body that is like the new Lexus super car. It would never have the pedigree of the Leica but would definitely reduce a lot of us to giggling school boys…
Just imagine! A full frame digital rangefinder with an 18 megapixels CMOS image sensor, a 2.7-inch (920k dots) TFT LCD, Live View with high speed Contrast Detection AF (for when you want to cheat a little and not use your rangefinder’s viewfinder) and maybe even HD movie recording. Have I got your attention? Now imagine if it is maybe only a mere two to three times the price of the Panasonic GF1 or Olympus EP-2. Damn! There is no contest! NONE AT ALL! The queue going to Canon would be crazy. No doubt, they would even sell a converter so that all your EF lenses could still be used if necessary. Now my life would be complete as I add this Canon digital rangefinder alongside my Canon 5D Mark II. There are lots of rumours that Nikon will announce an EVIL camera during PMA but if Canon comes out with this… there would be no contest. With Canon’s silence, I am definitely praying for a surprise!
I'll buy it. I'd be happy with an upgrade Cosina/Epson model branded as a Zeiss.
lin From TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA
18 Aug 2010, 9:09am
Lighter and no need the reflex mirror. Please tell Canon to make the camera with EF lnes, thus FD abd M42 mount also can be used.
Fantomas From UNITED STATES
14 Aug 2010, 3:52am
Full Frame, around 18MP sensor, high ISO, no AA filter, RAW, Manual Focus Plus AF just in case, Histogram with over and under exposed indicators , M mount (Leica) preferable, quiet as possible, affordable.
 "Canon Digital Rangefinders")
 "Canon Digital Rangefinders")
