Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/07/19

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] LUG: automation vs. the brain
From: Tom Christiansen <tomchr@softhome.net>
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 12:05:00 -0700
References: <005201c10fbb$288f1050$5d0aa8c0@registrar2>

Folks,

>I absolutely agree with your comments.  The whizz-bang camera I was using
>was a Contax N1, and I must say that this is the only SLR camera that I have
>ever used (including EOS1N, F5 etc.) that I feel completely in control of
>and have adapted to using almost as second nature.  It is an absolute
>delight to use either manually or automatically, and in manual mode it is so
>much a second nature that I can really concentrate on the image and not on
>what I need to do.  First time I have ever felt that with an auto SLR.

Last spring I converted from an all-manual Contaflex Alpha from 1958 to a 
brand new Contax Aria. I've since bought and used a few other Contax 
automated cameras.

What I really enjoy about the Contax cameras is, that even though the 
cameras are somewhat automated, they still have all the manual controls. 
Physical dials and knobs on the camera body. Unlike other auto SLR camera 
makes which have a thumb wheel and a ton of tiny push buttons that require 
you to go through a finger fitness program just to be able to change the 
F-stop.

Another thing I enjoy about the Contax line of cameras is the lack of 
program modes. A friend of mine shoots with a Canon APS camera with, I 
think, about 10 different program modes. All he thinks of is which mode to 
select for this shot. All I do is meter the scene, select exposure, and 
then I'm free to compose the shot.


Well enough about my joy for Contax cameras. After all this is a Leica user 
group. If I was ever to buy a range finder, I would definitely buy a Leica. 
Haven't decided on a particular model, though... :-)


Tom

In reply to: Message from "Chris Quinn" <cquinn@mail.sjcsf.edu> ([Leica] LUG: automation vs. the brain)