Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/25

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Subject: Re: R8 Autofocus Hypothesis
From: wilcox@umcc.umich.edu (Ken Wilcox)
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 06:58:09 -0400

>Mike Blanchot, Leica rep in So Cal, said Leica toyed with Contax style
>AF a decade ago, but decided that moving the film plane rather than
>the internal element that normally controls focus, made conpromises in
>the image quality that were unacceptable to Leitz.
>
>Is this logical??  If it is, consider how a view camera focuses.

While the film plane/front moves to focus a view camera, lets not lose
sight of the fact that 35mm lens quality must be considerably better than
that of large format to compensate for the increased enlargement needed in
35. It may be that film plane focusing does compromise quality too much.

OTOH Contax doesn't seem to think so, nor did the David White Company,
among others.

kw

- ----
Ken Wilcox                                Carolyn's Personal Touch Portraits
Davison Middle School                  preferred---> <wilcox@umcc.umich.edu>
600 Dayton, Davison, MI 48423
<kwilcox@genesee.freenet.org>