RE: [Leica] Apples and Oranges

["Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" <peterk@lucent.com>]

For action photographers, one autofocused Nikon or Canon photo that is in
focus is far better than a crisp out of focus due to manual focusing Leica
SLRs.  Hence the reason the Leica R8 is used by so few action photogs.
Those that spent a ton of money on their R glass, enjoy.  For those of us
that need the speed, albeit with glass that is only 95% as good, Canon will
always be King.

> ----------
> From: 	Mark Rabiner[SMTP:mrabiner@concentric.net]
> Reply To: 	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Sent: 	Wednesday, December 30, 1998 1:29 AM
> To: 	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: 	Re: [Leica] Apples and Oranges
> 
> 
> > 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.
>