[Leica] What digital SLR?

[Cummer <cummer@netvigator.com>]

>Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 09:36:54 +0100 (MET)
>From: Daniel Ridings <daniel.ridings@muspro.uio.no>
>Subject: RE: [Leica] xxx was Mark revisits history
>A little off-topic, but here's my logic. I'm a Leica user, this is a Leica
>list, I want a digital camera, Leica doesn't have one, so ...
>
>You Leica users, what would you do. I too have a batch of AIS lenses and
>am used to metering anyway.
>
>Nikon or Canon? The full-frame argument is ok, but it's not essential to
>me. A rectangle is a rectangle. I don't mind picking up a couple of
>autofocus lenses to use the camera full throttle.
>
>Which route have LUGers gone? I'm banking on prices dropping around March
>(at some kind of expo that is popular with the digital producers). Canon
>doesn't make the D60 anymore, prices of the D100 have actually dropped
>here in Norway, so much so that they're cheaper than they are in Sweden
>(now THAT is dramatic).
>
>I'm leaning towards Nikon. I'll probably start (and most likely finish)
>with a D100 kind of camera (price range). Any flames?

Hi Daniel,
A long time Nikon user (I have an F4, an F2 and an F100 still left) I 
moved reluctantly to Canon to have a D60 so that I could use Leica R 
lenses on a digital SLR with the R to EOS adaptor. The D60 works very 
well with Canon EF lenses but has a couple of problems which 
hopefully will be corrected in the next model. First the autofocus is 
not very good in low light - three focus points just doesn't cut it 
anymore. Second, on playback the magnification is limited to 9 times 
which means that you really need to download the images to your 
computer to see if they are really sharp. This is not such a big 
problem when using EF Canon lenses but is a problem when using Leica 
R lenses because they are hard to focus accurately on the matt ground 
glass screen of the D60 and unlike the EOS D1, EOS1 and EOS3 you 
can't change the focusing screen of the D60. The problem with the EOS 
D1 is that there is no magnification on playback, even though you can 
install a split screen focusing screen to help focus manual lenses. 
The Nikon D100 should be a better bet for play back as it has a 20 
times zoom function. If you have Non CPU Nikon Manual lenses the D100 
will work in manual but with no light meter function. The D100 only 
works in full auto functions with AF Nikkors, D type Manual focus 
Nikkors and AIP Nikkors). From my view point none of the above 
present digital offerings meet all my requirements.
Hope this helps.
Howard
Hong Kong
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