Ergonomics Workgroup

1 Meeting 3rd of November, 2014

1.1 Researching the lens mount patent situation

Mechanical dimensions cannot be patented so anyone can build a mount that particular lenses.

Of course the manufacturer names (Sony, Canon, etc.) are trademarked so we cannot advertize any mount as "Sony E-mount" we can only call it "e-mount" or "compatible with e-mount". The word "e-mount" is very likely not trademarked.

The electronic data exchange protocol is under a Sony/Canon/etc. licenses and to acquire it you need to sign contracts and pay fees, etc. In Europe though it is not illegal to reverse engineer something if it is required for you to make specific things "work" so we will be able to listen to what the lens is saying and being told to do and would be able to create software that sends/receives "similar" commands. This is in full compliance with the law.

1.2 Camera Enclosure Surface Finish Notes

The typical camera surface finish is called "Runzellack" which translates to: wrinkle paint.

Painting Aluminum is not a trivial process.

Labels can easily be CNC engraved, then painted and the paint wiped away, that way the paint only remains in the engraved areas and dries there.

laser engraving is another cheap way to create labels