Re: [Leica] Autofocus & Leica

[Doug Herr <71247.3542@compuserve.com>]

On Tue, 23 Mar 1999,  D Khong wrote:

<BIG SNIP>
>I believe Leica should get an AF RF/SLR out into the market soon.  Many of
>us are getting long in the tooth and weak in the eyes and would welcome
the
>advantages that AF has to offer.  I often ask myself: How can one continue
>to happily use a camera which will give blurred shots due to eyesight
>problem when there is an alternative loaded with extra features?

There is a place and time for AF but for my 47-yr-old eyes (w/ blister in
the stronger eye's retina) a more appropriate solution has been the
Leicaflex SL's viewfinder.

Manual focus is a vital camera function when a critter is hiding in the
brush (they do that a lot) and there's only an eye to focus on; everything
else is obscured by twigs or leaves and even the image of the eye is partly
degraded by intervening stuff.  I can't use a camera designed for AF with
MF an afterthought accomodation for people who don't really trust the
electronics.  An AF camera's viewfinder just isn't designed for quick,
confident MF.

I don't wish for AF when using the SL; I do wish for AF when using nearly
any other SLR.  In addition, I am very thankful for Leica's support of
long-discontinued equipment like the SL because the more features a camera
has (there are more and more features with each new model) the longer it
takes for me to use the basic controls: focus, aperture, shutter speed. 
I've written before of my preference for the precise control of manual
controls and I very pleased that the simple old Leicaflex bodies can still
be repaired and rebuilt to like-new specs.

If (or is it When) Leica markets an auto-focus interchangable-lens camera
body it will be a boon to many who prefer this feature and will undoubtedly
be beneficial to Leica (the company) but the simple, metered-manual camera
like the SL is the type that has allowed me re-discover my passion for
photography, which I can see in my chromes.

Doug Herr
Urban Forest of Sacramento