Age, Coatings, and good glass

[Vondauster@aol.com]

Hi All,

Time to add my two cents worth to a number of threads, some current, some,
with your indulgence, a little stale.

First off, I am 42 years old, and have been using Leicas professionally since
1986 - when I was a lot more stodgy. My first Leica was the "D" model (IIf)
my father bought new in 1950 before he left Germany. He gave that to me when
I was 13 - and even grouchier than I am today (though pehaps not on that
day...). By the way, it is still an excellent camera. I agree that prices of
top quality professional gear are remarkably close these days, what with the
F5 _retailing_ (and I don't pay that either) for somewhere around US $3,000. 

Second, about lens recoating, and sorry for not responding sooner: I had John
van Stelton recoat a collapsible 50mm Summicron front element for me about 4
years ago. The results were superb, and I was able to sell the lens for a
_great_ deal of money, as it was otherwise in mint condition. And yes, I wish
I had been able to keep that one. Sigh.

Third, as a matter of professional and personal preference, and since I do
not do a lot of sports photography, I have no use for autofocus whatsoever.
Yes, I have tried it, and I find it misses as often as it hits. To become
skilled with it, one must constantly take its limitations into consideration,
making it as much of a bother as any manual focus equipment. And of course,
it adds a number of things to the machine which can break. There is creative
control to consider as well.

Lastly, and perhaps most nebulously: the quality of Leica glass. I agree with
the emotive quality, but must hasten to add that the current-production M
lenses I use are also the sharpest (highest resolution and contrast) lenses I
have ever used, and their color rendition is unequalled. The 90mm Elmarit and
50mm Elmar are also remarkably free from flare. All sentiment aside, I would
not use this equipment if it did not perform better than its competition: I
can't afford to. As for the reasons, I am inclined to agree with John van
Stelton's analysis, and defer to his expertise. John is, by the way, one of
only two people I let work on my Leicas, the other is retired.

Thanks for your patience with this long post.

Will

(PS: Very sorry about the mugging. Insurance is a good investment, folks...)