Re: M use

[ted grant <75501.3002@CompuServe.COM>]

Det wrote:

<<<I think there is not one pro-photographer at the Olympics using a Leica R8!
All Nikon and Canon - not because of the cameras, but because of the service.
The R8 is IMHO  with 98% in the hands of amateurs and nearly no  pro will use
the R8...>>>>>>

OOOOPS!!! how's this for some thought :)

I used Leicas at every summer and winter Olympics, Pan American and Commonwealth
Games from 1968 until '96. Not to mention the National Hockey League, National &
American and Canadian Football leaues and many other sports events.

You are right, that today the majority of sports photographers use Nikon and
Canon at these games, however it is due to features not employed in the Leica M
and R cameras. ie: Autofocus, the prime reason.

As a professional photographer working at it since 1951 and still just about as
hard today at the age 68, I have at the moment 1 R8, no motor yet! (damn) Two
more on order to be supplied when motors are available for all three bodies. 3
R7's and motors and 3 M6's and a pile of lenses!

I do believe there are several other pros on the LUG who are using R8's and
several others waiting until motors are available before purchasing.

<<<I think there is not one pro-photographer at the Olympics using a Leica R8!
>>>>>>

There were R8's at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta 1996 "quietly" for field
testing by pros just as there were 400 2.8 lenses at the Winter (Calgary) and
Summer (Seoul) Olympics 1988.  As a matter of interest at the 1972 Winter
Olympics in Sapporo, Japan I had the opportunity to look at and through a
version of what became the 280 and the 350. And a kind of 4.8 mounted on a
Novaflex pistol grip. The Leica, Wetzlar testing technician had a panic when I
started to shoot some pictures of him using it! :)

At one time there were quite a number of us using Leicas during the Games,
however due to the advancement of Nikon and inparticular Canon to advanced
technology of faster motors and without question autofocus, has been the major
influence for the great number of "white lenses " seen at these Games and other
major sports events.

Even I'll admit I shot in the '92 Olympics and '94 CWGames some Canon EOS1, but
then I still did the bulk of my photography work with my manual focus Leicas! :)
And still had some winner frames! :) (well OK I thought they were. :)

<<<not because of the cameras, but because of the service>>>>>>>

At all the Games, Leica has had service staff, loaner equipment available for
Leica and non-Leica users to try Leica equipment. Photographers known to be
Leica sports and news shooters are all notified well in advance of any Games the
address of the local Leica service office, who is running it, the names of the
service technicians. On top of that it is always well stocked with extra little
goodies to make life easier for the 16 hour days of covering the international
events.

Hope this gives you a somewhat different perspective of how Leica does look
after their Leica camera users, despite some of the whining in here of waiting
months for servicing. :)

ted