Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/12/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 12:18 AM 12/11/96 -0400, Dan C. wrote: >Don't get me wrong, I admire Leica very much, but anyone who says that >autofocus cameras can't focus as well as MF cameras has obviously never used >an autofocus camera. My primitive Minolta 9000 (a first generation AF >camera) will equal or better the focusing accuracy of a MF leica in all but >dim lighting conditions. I have used that camera enough to prove to me that >my eye can never out perform its electronics. It sometimes has trouble >locking in, but when it does, it is dead on. Dan Even the AF manufacturers -- Nikon, Canon, Minolta, &c -- admit that AF accuracy is not as great as MF. Try a test with your Minolta -- use FAST prime lenses (f/1.4 or faster) wide open. You'll find a lot of cases in that circumstance where the narrow focus will cause a focusing problem. The problem exists -- but you cannot see it -- with the relatively deep depth-of-field on a slow (f/5.6 or so) zoom lens, which is about all anyone uses with AF. Leica and Contax, whose virtues are FAST prime lenses (F/1 Noctilux, f/1.4 Summilux and Planar designs, especially the 1.4/75 Leica and 1.4/85 Contax lenses), are more nervous about this than are the AF camera makers, and with very good reason. Hope this is clear! Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!