Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jacques Bilinski wrote: <snip> > AF lenses need to be designed with more play in the mechanism to allow them > to autofocus quickly. This is why Leica and Contax don't make AF lenses > (not SLR ones anyways). Lenses with play in them are "contrary to their > philosophy... blah blah blah". A consequence of this is that when the > lubricants stiffen up at low temperatures the AF lenses don't get as stiff. <snip> Makes sense. So I went to what specs I could find on the M6 and they say the cameras have been "Tough climate-test in several cycles from -25C to +60C." What does this mean and do the cameras meet spec. whatever it means? Also, in my ignorance, I assume that the auto focus cameras have a motor and gears and powerful batteries to drive the lens in an out. Must be quite a show if you are using a big zoom lens and trying to follow some action or just scanning back and forth between near and far objects. No wonder the SLR cameras are so big and heavy. The M6 is sounding better all the time. I will simply keep it under my parka like I did my Retinas 40 years ago during my over two years in Antarctica. No problem, film did not get stiff, I got aurora photographs by developing some judgment when the best show was going to be, etc. I got photographs at -60F when the sun was below the horizon after carrying my camera all day as I was picking, breaking and moving snow(firn, neve, ice whatever you want to call it) with shovel and sled. Unless the M6 will not meet spec or those climate-test cycles are of very very short duration with lots of time for the camera/lens to warm up before the next cycle. Now that would not be so good. Dale - -- $ dale-reed@worldnet.att.net Seattle, Washington U.S.A. $