Leitz Ur-Leica versus Canon 1D Mark IV
Roughly a century of technological development separate the Ur-Leica and the Canon 1D Mark IV. The former was finished in March 1914, while the latter was presented to the public in October 2009. The Ur-Leica was the first camera to use 24x36mm film, whereas the 1D Mark IV is build around a 16MP APS-H digital imaging sensor.
Body comparison: Ur-Leica vs Canon 1D Mark IV
An illustration of the physical dimensions and weight of the Leitz Ur-Leica and the Canon 1D Mark IV is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 1D Mark IV is considerably larger (183 percent) than the Leitz Ur-Leica. Moreover, the 1D Mark IV is substantially heavier (186 percent) than the Ur-Leica. In addition, while the Ur-Leica has an integrated lens (the retractable Mikro-Summar 42mm f/4.5), the 1D Mark IV requires an additional lens, which will add further to its weight.
Evidently, the 1D Mark IV is the more powerful imaging tool, providing an image quality and picture-processing capability that Oskar Barnack, the creator of the Ur-Leica, probably could not have envisioned. However, there are two aspects (apart from size and weight) where the Ur-Leica has an edge over the 1D Mark IV. The first one is power supply. The Ur-Leica is a fully mechanical camera, so that there is no risk of running out of juice during a shooting session...
The second advantage of the Ur-Leica is, well, its resale value. The camera is a museum piece, resting safely at Leica’s headquarters in Wetzlar/Germany. Collectors would probably be willing to pay several million US dollars if it were put up for sale. In contrast, the Canon 1D Mark IV, while surely being the better, more modern camera, just lacks the scarcity and historical importance that foster "auction madness" and drive vintage camera prices into six or seven-figure territory.
Other comparisons
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