Re: Snobby Leica/MFvsAF

[Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>]

Soon Wai Hoe wrote:
> 
>SNIP
> 
> Can anyone out there please enlighten me on the special qualities of the
> Leica lens?? It is not that they are lousy. Just as an objective comparison,
> are they that fantastically far ahead of the rest?? As far as pratical
> experience goes, I cannot see a world of difference. Anyone care to disagree??
> 
> --Adi

Just received a couple of days ago a brochure I photographed with 
numerous pix.  Leica USA had sent me an R7 and a 35-70 lens to try.  I 
only was able to shoot two rolls before the camera jammed.  The rest shot 
with Nikon and 35-70.  One of the Leica pix was published in the brochure 
and it does have something extra.  A little richer color, a smoothness, 
something, that is better than the Nikkor.  But subtle.

On another MF versus AF discussion thought I would relay an experience 
this week shooting: 

Just returned from two day magazine assignment to photograph boats on a 
lake north of Los Angeles, up in mountains.  It was about 40  degrees F 
when we started at 7am.  The wind was blowing around 35mph and gusting 
to 50.  Some of the 9 boats I needed various pix of were only available for 
the one day.  So must get pix.  So out we go on a 25 foot photo boat with tall 
platform I'm up on.  

I have my N90s with 35-70 and a gyro stabilizer.  Usually I try to shoot 
shots of boats running at 1/60th of second to get blurry water and sharp 
boat.  This takes a gyro plus smooth water and strong arms to hold camera 
and gyro and let it "float" with the motion of the boat.  Usually I MF, since 
the boat is usually off center.  We usually run about 10 feet apart.

For all but a couple of hours both days the wind blew and blew and blew.  

So here I am up on platform with boat going 30+ mph through the chop.  
Against the wind we have 60mph wind chill.  Moving with the wind was a 
little better.  I can hardly keep the boat in frame with all the pounding and 
whipping around up on top of the tower and then my eyes begin to water, I 
can't focus, can't see model's expressions (they are in swimsuits, poor 
things), can't tell what I'm getting.  I alternate between 1/125 and 1/250 
because of the motion and try to time my shots when the model boat is 
steady.  I switch to AF and put boat in center of frame and open fire!

It is so cold my lips are so numb I have trouble telling models what to do.  
Fortunately I had headset and intercom to talk with photoboat driver over 
the noise, telling him when to go closer, pull back, move back, move 
forward, watch our shadow.  

And in the middle of all this I'm thinking, how could I accomplish this with 
an R8??  Maybe I could occasionally see well enough to focus, and I'm 
shooting at f/8-11, so maybe Depth of field will save me.  I don't know.  
Maybe with an M might be easier, but no zoom lenses that are so nice when 
it is difficult to quickly control precisely where the boats move.

I write this (war story??) just to put perspective on some of the 
discussion about quality optics and precision and traditionalism and 
"creative" manual control, and so on.    Sunny Sunday afternoons in the 
park with no deadlines might lead you to view a camera's features and 
qualities differently than trying to work in more trying conditions.  

My shoulders, arms, back and waist (from banging into the platform) are 
still recovering.  I feel like I earned my fee.

The lab is about to tell all.

Donal Philby
San Diego