Re: What is a Leica

[Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>]

Jim Zietz wrote:
> 
> I sold the Nikons (I wasn't about to get rid of my Leica) and bought Canon
> F1's. I used the F1's until recently. Now I have EOS1n's. I agree with the
> "effectiveness of the EOS1 as a picture-taking machine", but I just hate
> having to spin a dial on the back of the camera body to change the
> aperture. I think Nikon was smart here to keep the aperture ring on the
> lens.

Jim, 
Though having never owned a Canon, my play with the EOS and the back
dial got me envious.  The biggest problem with Nikon for me is that the
aperature rings on every lens I own or have owned (many, both MF and AF)
are sticky, very hard to do quick bracket.  It is the poor machining, I
guess.  At least with the N90 you can bracket with shutter.  The F5, at
least, has solved the aperature ring problem with the thumb wheel for
easy bracketing, but then, perhaps to leave room for improvement, didn't
put one conveniently for use in vertical mode and didn't give a choice
of 1/3 or 1/2 increments.  It is the kind of thinking (or non-thinking)
that makes me want to throttle designers.  Same with the R8 bracket
device.  The left hand needs to stay craddled under the lens, not have
to jump back to the camera back.  Bracketing is a right handed
operation.  A wheel on the back, a la Canon, would be perfect.

But can you imagine the trauma for a designer listening to the both of
us and designing something to please both?  

Donal Philby
San Diego