Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/01/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well is isn't a Leica, but it isn't all bad. Took a series of pictures with the M6 and 35/1.4 ASPH (just to keep things fair) and my new G1 with used 45mm/2.0 lens. Got the film back yesterday - Kodachrome 64. 1) M6 all slides in good focus and exposure. Great for hand holding (as we all knew) in low light. 2) G1 of 26 slides, 17 were very good, one of an outside fountain, is better than with the M6 (all hand held and examined with a 10x loupe and projected with a Leica Pradovit with 90 Superplan lens on matt surface.) Moved the camers on one. Exposure was off on four, it seems that I had the AE lock on and kept changing the F stop but kept the shutter at 1/30 (all inside mall shots of store with Christmas tree like lights). Three slides seemed to be soft - all closeups at 2.0. With very close examination it seems that the focus plane it not where I wanted it, in front in one slide and in back in the other two. Parts could be found in focus and sharp. On slide I can't explain, of my wife in a chair, the whole thing was fuzzy. Not quite like moving the camera, but that may be what it was. G1 45mm lens seems pretty sharp. Two problems: (1) close focusing at large f stops, and (2) camera movement due the way the autofocus works, ie, it parks at infinity until the shutter is depressed part way and then moves to focus. It is slow and, apparantly, much harder to take available light pictures than I anticipated. 3) The G1 is a better camera than most P&S, don't know if it is any better (shoot better pics) than say a Nikon N50 with a good zoom lens. I had one and it sure autofocused fast and pretty accurate. Sure makes me appreciate the M6 on all but moving targets (and don't use the G1 either). The G1 will work well for travel out the car window (has infinity lock and passive autofocus) and my wife can take picutres of me with it!!! Can't see where Popular Photo came up with the test results for the 45?? Sorry, this is partly off subject. But when an possible alternative to the Leica comes along it is interesting to see how they compare. Dick Hemingway Norman, OK