Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/12/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ben, I think it is a good idea to get a SLR. I took a lot of pictures of my own baby-daughter, very much the way you plan to do. This was in 1979, so I used a F2 with a 50/1,8 lens and avaliable light/fast film. Those pictures are worth a lot for us today, but I regret that I did not spend more time to arrange light and use my tripod a little more. The depth of field is the critical point in my own pictures, and a longer exposure time would permit larger depth of field. (I did not like the idea of bursting a flash into the face of a little baby) If you decide to get a SLR, a F3 is fine. However, a AF-SLR is even better! With an AF-SLR you can move focus very fast, even around different parts of a face. I have used F2, F3, F4 and N90, and today I would never buy a manual Nikon, unless my budget forced me to. Another factor is the automatic flash system for the AF-Nikons. If I wanted a SLR today, I would get a N90x with suitable lens(es). The Leica M is fine for everything up to 50 mm, but for macro and tele lenses a SLR is best. For portraits I like the idea of a F3 + 85/1,4 or a N90 + 85/1,8 much better than M6 + 90/2. I gave my own N90x with lenses to my daughter on her 16th birthday. She would never dream of using my M:s, although I am happy that she likes B/W-pictures and my Focamat Ic. Yes, small fingers grow too fast... Good luck! /Hans