So here's an idea I've been mulling over for a while...
There are already 3rd party manufacturers (SigRoKina etc), who make 3rd Party lenses with AF, they take a few Canon lenses and bodies apart, look at the electrical signals going back and forth, and then build that capability into their own lenses. It's worked for the last 30 years or so quite nicely.
Now, think about the Sigma SD1 dslr (without laughing at the launch price). The mount is physically a Pentax PK-mount, but the electrical signals going between camera and lens are the same as EF lenses and bodies. They already knew how to make the lenses work with AF, seems they now know how to make bodies too.
There's also already another body that takes EF-lenses, the Hartblei H1-Cam, that at least operates the aperture on EF lenses (I'm not sure about IS, i'm pretty sure not AF), but then projects it to an MF back (like an IQ180 or whatever you mortgage your house to buy)
Now take into account that the new EOS-M probably will never take an FF sensor, and that probably means canon will never produce an M9-killer tiny-FF.
Now, imagine what I'm imagining.
A MILC/EVIL/mirrorless whatever, made by a 3rd-party (probably Sigma), with whatever sensor (maybe a D800-ish sensor, maybe a Foveon X3 15/46 Megapixel-ish sensor), with the Nikon-J1/EOS-M/650D AF-pixels inbuilt, with a flange distance of 10-20mm, with an adapter to take EF lenses with full AF and IS and whatever.
But the main point is, FF sensor: mirrorless body.
It's certainly possible, maybe Sigma's even working on one as we speak.
Would you buy one?
If it means you can use almost any glass ever made in live-view, plus if it means you can use your EF-mount FF glass on a smaller body with AF, what would you pay?
(presumably not the $10k of the SD1, for that I'd get a Leica M9 any day). $1k sound reasonable? maybe $2k?
Am I just clutching at straws for the last possibility of an affordable FF MILC with live-view (given the Leica M10 may or may not have live-view, but it will still never be affordable).
Come on Sigma, you're our only hope!
There are already 3rd party manufacturers (SigRoKina etc), who make 3rd Party lenses with AF, they take a few Canon lenses and bodies apart, look at the electrical signals going back and forth, and then build that capability into their own lenses. It's worked for the last 30 years or so quite nicely.
Now, think about the Sigma SD1 dslr (without laughing at the launch price). The mount is physically a Pentax PK-mount, but the electrical signals going between camera and lens are the same as EF lenses and bodies. They already knew how to make the lenses work with AF, seems they now know how to make bodies too.
There's also already another body that takes EF-lenses, the Hartblei H1-Cam, that at least operates the aperture on EF lenses (I'm not sure about IS, i'm pretty sure not AF), but then projects it to an MF back (like an IQ180 or whatever you mortgage your house to buy)
Now take into account that the new EOS-M probably will never take an FF sensor, and that probably means canon will never produce an M9-killer tiny-FF.
Now, imagine what I'm imagining.
A MILC/EVIL/mirrorless whatever, made by a 3rd-party (probably Sigma), with whatever sensor (maybe a D800-ish sensor, maybe a Foveon X3 15/46 Megapixel-ish sensor), with the Nikon-J1/EOS-M/650D AF-pixels inbuilt, with a flange distance of 10-20mm, with an adapter to take EF lenses with full AF and IS and whatever.
But the main point is, FF sensor: mirrorless body.
It's certainly possible, maybe Sigma's even working on one as we speak.
Would you buy one?
If it means you can use almost any glass ever made in live-view, plus if it means you can use your EF-mount FF glass on a smaller body with AF, what would you pay?
(presumably not the $10k of the SD1, for that I'd get a Leica M9 any day). $1k sound reasonable? maybe $2k?
Am I just clutching at straws for the last possibility of an affordable FF MILC with live-view (given the Leica M10 may or may not have live-view, but it will still never be affordable).
Come on Sigma, you're our only hope!