Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ferdinand and fellow LUGgers: You will not believe this, but I tell you the truth. I did an entire photoshoot yesterday in full sunlight with the R8 and G2 side by side. I shot 2 rolls with the G2 and 1 with the R8. On crucial shots, I shot once with the G2, asked the model to stay in position, then shot the exact same exposure with the R8. Of course, both photos were perfectly and equally exposed. But the interesting thing is that the Zeiss images look exactly the same, if not better, than my Leica images. I shot with the 28, 45, and 90. All three lenses are tack sharp. I had no problems focusing at all. Many have said that the focus point is off center, but I shot with the assumption that it was dead center, and every shot was perfectly focused. Exposure was perfect. I shot EPR 64 rated at 50, and added +0.5 on backlit shots. I was not surprised by things in the final image that I did not include in my framing. Apparently the 90-92% viewfinder is sufficient. To be fair, I only compared the 50/2.0 R lens to the 45/2.0 G lens. These I compared side by side on the light box, under a 4x and 8x loupe. Practically identical.....same color saturation, same sharpness, same fine details.....I think if I mixed them up in the same box I could not tell them apart. I am definitely impressed. The G2 was very easy to use, and it was a welcome relief not to have to wind every shot and rewind every roll manually. Auto bracketing built in is also wonderfully convenient. The zooming viewfinder was excellent and bright, and the parallax compensation worked flawlessly. I did not use the MF on the G2, and think it to be a waste of time. That is the only feature I think I will never use. The AF is very smooth, fast, and quiet on the G2. The model (about 2-3 meters away) and my assistant (about 1-2 meters away) were constantly asking me if I had taken the shot yet. They could not hear the AF or shutter, and did not know whether I had shot or not! Not so with the R8, but I know the M6 would have received the same response. The strap that comes with the G2 is a pain in the butt to put on.....and it was mighty uncomfortable. In fact, I removed the strap from my R8 and put it on the G2 and it feels wonderful. The only thing left for me to find out is whether the Metz 50-MZ5 will work on the G2. The flash that is available for the G2 through Contax is not a worthwhile expense to me. The data back for the G2 may be helpful, but I understand that the aperture it writes between frames is not the actual aperture, but an estimate! That is bad. I think I will be using the G2 for my rangefinder range (21mm to 90mm) and the R4 or R8 for the SLR range (100mm to 800mm). The size of the G2 and 3 lenses allows me to carry the entire outfit in a fanny pack and not even notice the weight! I really like this G2! Francesco Sanfilippo, Five Senses Productions webmaster@5senses.com http://www.5senses.com/