Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'd suggest that by buying into the Leica R system I'm not in effect trading in my apartment for a cave. Cameras are evolving into specializations now because they can. Autofocus has become essential for sports, but a number of photographers who shoot using wide glass are having problems with the EOS system and the necessity of giving up some control of composition. Personally, my first complaint is the quality of the wide angle glass, though many others are happy with it. The more universal complaint is the autofocus, especially with the EOS system. It's so darn hard to manually focus through that screen with wide angle lenses. And in autofocus mode you're either making composition a secondary concern, or using your SLR like a rangefinder to focus then recompose, and by then the moment is gone. Canon and Nikon have their niche markets. So does Leica. I can do things with Leica-R that I can't with Canon (though I'd say I can with Nikon). As a photojournalist, in the last few years I've seen technology only bring a decline in quality of the final product. And it's only going to get worse with digital cameras, which are eagerly being embraced. So, I've yet to see how all this new stuff is of wide-ranging benefit to professionals outside the realm of sports shooting, or people with poor eyesight. Show me how photography and photojournalism have improved with this explosion of new gadgetry and I'll change my mind. Dave Y.