It could successfully be argued that the whole point of owning a Leica is that you are then able to use the (deservedly) legendary Leica M lenses. The cameras themselves are, like any other camera, just boxes. Exquisitely engineered, wonderful to use boxes, but boxes nonetheless.

So, Novoflex's new lens adapter, which will let you put a Leica lens onto a Micro Four Thirds camera, has us rather excited.

Novoflex is also planning Micro Four Thirds adapters for Leica R (the SLR lenses), Nikon, Contax/Yashica, Olympus, Pentax and Minolta lenses.

With this single, €150 accessory, the whole point of the MFT standard becomes, if you'll excuse the pun, clear. Although you can easily buy third-party lenses for your camera, the reverse is not true. By selling small, specialized camera bodies with a now almost universal lens mount, the Four Thirds coalition is essentially bringing very high-end photography to the masses.

Back in September, I wrote this of the MFT conundrum:

Micro Four Thirds is certainly exciting, but really relies on other manufacturers supporting it. The big problem is that Nikon and Canon will never stray from their own proprietary lens mounts, which leaves the major players out of this particular game.

That, it seems, has been fixed. Now. Imagine a camera like the Olympus concept above. A rangefinder-style camera, with the latest in low-noise, high ISO sensors. Now imagine it at, say, a few hundred bucks. To finish, imagine that you can now put any Leica M bayonet lens ever made onto the front of it. Now, see why we're getting excited?

Product page [Novoflex via Amateur Photographer]

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