Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> The reason pros don't opt for Leica is more than price. The cameras hold > up, but if you need it for action the R8 simply can't compare with the new > Canons and Nikons, as you say Apples and Oranges. R-Lenses are very > comparable to the better EOS L lenses these days with computerised optics. > I know LUG will find this herecy but its true. > > >Leica doesn't offer an "equivalent" to the "TOP GRADE Nikons and Canons", > > > > >its most recent SLR offering is at least a decade behind > > > > Apples and oranges. It's no surprise that it doesn't have all the great > > technology that others seem to think are necessary. But the R8's viewfinder > > and build, and flash meter are hardly a decade behind. In all this conversation of this basket of Canons, Nikons and R-Leicas no one has mentioned the magic word which makes the Leica R a horse of a different color: AUTOFOCUS. Can we squint our eyes and pretend its not there? Their matrix metering systems take into account not just where and how large and how bright a light source is but how FAR away it is before it decides that its the Sun, Venus or your desk light and therefore we must give it almost f6.@ 127th of a second. But the issue at large is not metering but AUTOFOCUS. I haven't taken an autofocus picture in years and seldom miss it. My nikons are oozing battery acid to the shelves below. But the awful weight of deciding what my exposure is going to be or at least matching up two diodes has not gotten me down. I've rekindled and refined my zone focusing and anticipatory metering skills. I AM MY OWN MATRIX!!!! And at middle age. But my main point is that the Autofocus area's of the Nikons and Canons are not just important features that must be given their due: The autofocus features of these cameras have taken over these cameras personalities. THEY ARE THE CAMERA.. And I think telling us of the percentage of times whatever they may be that we claim to turn the autofocus off doesn't take away from this. These cameras scream: I AM AN AUTOFOCUS CAMERA!! and its hard to have an intelligent level headed discussion about their metering systems and viewfinders and moterdrives, its all connected. If someone wrote in that they love the F5 but for purism or whatever never use the autofocus I would not think "Oh gee, my kind of Leicalike Pal!" If someone gave me a F5 I'd love it and blitz away at several frames per second till the cows came home on skateboards. But my money gets spent on M. And buy the time its complete we'll be at R9 which I hope to hell won't be autofocus, but I trust Leica.