Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/12/06

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Subject: Re: Mysterious pins on R8 lensmount
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 09:22:34 -0500

At 05:48 AM 12/6/96 -0600, George Huczek wrote:

>I have been told that autofocus lenses might somehow compromise
>the quality of Leica's lenses. Can anyone substantiate this? I
>would like to know why or how an autofocus lens per se creates
>problems in optical quality. If such a claim about reduced optical
>performance in AF lenses can be supported, then wouldn't it be
>a mistake for Leica to go in this direction?


It's not that AF 'reduces optical quality':  the concern from Leica and
Zeiss is that AF ACCURACY is not good enough to replace manual focusing for
critical work, and, apparently, critical work is all that these two
companies are interested in their customers doing.  Thus, both the R system
and Contax lack AF.  (Yes, yes, I know about the new Contax -- but that is a
specialty camera only.)  

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!