Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/29

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Subject: RE: [Leica] M camera NOW R camera ?
From: "Randy Jensen" <randy@jamzcheer.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 09:06:44 -0700

I've wondered (having not used any of these lenses myself):

What happens with a 'vibration reduction' or 'image stabilization' lens when
you pan with a subject?  Does it try to go against your panning?  Or when
you want to show blur for an artistic purpose?  Does it reduce this effect?
Do you turn it on and off?

I'm just curious, because the only experience I have with it is the 'steady
shot' on my camcorder which can actually give me motion sickness with it's
smoothing out effect.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I really like Leica's direction compared to
other camera manufacturers.  They really seem to care about the art more
than the technology (maybe to a fault someetimes).  Only Nikon, in my mind,
seems to take any kind of similar direction.

Have you seen the camera ad with Andre Agassi?  The one that says something
to the effect of "You may see a champion regaining his dominance - we see 35
of our lenses dominating the competition".  I see about 50 people getting
the same damn shot.  I'd be there with my R8 BEHIND him, camera cocked at a
45 degree angle getting his bald head with a bunch of lenses aimed at him.

That could be a Leica ad, "Here's our one camera getting something
DIFFERENT."  LMAO.

Randy
www.randyjensenphoto.com

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Douglas
Herr
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 8:36 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] M camera NOW R camera ?


bdcolen <bdcolen@earthlink.net> wrote:

> "Most capable?" Where's the autofocus? Where are the 35 1.4
> and 28 1.4 lenses? Where's the 10 fps motor? Where are any
> number of features that many, many, many - nay, countless -
> professional and non-professional photographers consider
> essential?

B.D., the 35mm f/1.4 R is in the Leica catalog.

A 10 fps motor is essential if you don't know how to time your exposures or
if the shutter lag is so long that capturing the right moment depends on
capturing lots of moments and editing later.

Motorized rewind is essential if you have to depend on a 10 fps motor and
you change film every few seconds.

AF is essential if the camera's viewfinder isn't good enough to focus
manually.  See "Pete", "Black Skimmer", "Golden Eagle" and "Sharp-shinned
Hawk" on my website - use a camera with a good viewfinder and focussing a
lens suddenly isn't rocket science.

3D color matrix metering is essential if the photographer has forgotten the
basics of exposure metering.

IS/VR is essential if one has forgotten how to hold a cmaera steady.  I
regularly use a 400mm lens at 1/125 or even 1/60 sec hand-held, and the 560
at 1/125 or 1/250 sec.  "Prairie Warbler" was made at 1/60 sec, "Black
Skimmer", "Northern Goshawk, immature" and "Pied-billed Grebe" were exposed
for 1/125 sec, and "Coyote" and "Sharp-shinned Hawk" were 1/300 sec
exposures, with a hand-held 560mm lens.

These features can be handy if one is rushed and can't take the time to use
appropriate technique but the cameras that have these features lack what I
consider essential: R lenses.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
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