RE: [Leica] R equipment and its future

["Dan Honemann" <danh@selectsa.com>]

Pascal,

I very much appreciate your thoughts on these matters.  You see the
difficulty of the decision quite clearly.

You write:
> Maybe the new AF Contax SLR system could be a compromise if manual
> focusing with it works allright (that is, better than Canon or Nikon).

Unfortunately, it isn't.  I had the opportunity to check out an N1 at a
recent Contax Day here, and I was disappointed to note that the AF body and
lenses were very much on par with Canon offerings.  It really is a syndrome
that affects all AF equipment: lighter lenses, shorter focus throws, much
less contrast in the focus screens.  The N1, IMO, simply could not compare
with the RTS III in side by side comparison of focus and feel.

There is one other hope--a compromise, to be sure: that the film scanners
will keep pace with the digital CCD's.  It's a silly middle step to have to
make, however.

On the other hand, if one has no desire or need to go the digital route, but
appreciates fine manual equipment, these are good times.  Imagine how
inexpensive used Zeiss (and perhaps Leica) glass will become over the course
of the next few years.

Regards,
Dan