Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Lucien wrote: > >Thibault, > >I'm discussing top-of-the-line, currently produced camera here. > >I know that the F4 was the best camera for AIS lenses, >I'm using Nikon AF sinds the 801, because of the AF and the flash system. >(but, now the R8 flash system is pretty close) > >IMHO, the Nikon marketing policy, if there is one, >is the more frustrating of the photo market. > Lucien, You are absolutely right! I would be happy to use a R8 but because of the lack of high speed motor, I can't. The R8's flash system of the R8 is close, but not so good and not so automatic! I do need motor and automatic because I'm working on animal behaviour (psychophysiology). So, I got to have a camera that can work alone even with an intervalometer or a remote control but also at 5 fps and sometimes with the flash. Since the camera is in the room with the animals to photograph their behaviour, I cannot be also in the room otherwise their behaviour would be adapted to my presence. So I'm doing the following : I remove the prism of the F4, replace it with the video camera device that allows : i) to film everything through the viewfinder ii) to take a picture or a bunch of pictures anytime you need The F4 is the only one to offer that feature especially if you consider that I'm working with a 250 frames databack. I think you understand! The emergence of the mattrix metering definitely increased the quality of exposure because it works alone! Of course in manual mode or with the spot metering you can get anything you want, but only when you hold the cam! When you don't, you are forced to rely on the automatisms and mattrix metering is really helpfull because the animals are moving back and forth and are not always in the same area of the room. Moreover, the white rats clearly affect the silicon cells and I need to overexpose to compensate their color! Last point! I've noticed that I get sharper pictures with a 35mm summicron lens than with its Nikon equivalent. To distinguish between the different rats, I do need some sharpness especially in B & W with TMZ (rated at 6400!). I guess that you got me now! In conclusion, leica bodies are not really adapted to what I'm doing, but the lenses are great. This is the only reason why I'm screwing up a leitz lens to adapt it to a Nikon body! If leica would built an adapted body, I would run to buy it, even if it's expensive like hell, I don't care. It would be much easier for me (I have binoculars, microscopes and every kind of scientific equipments from leica, even a confocal microscope, that are 100 time more expensive that a R8). The only trouble is, leica bodies don't fit for my job. I think you understood me! Thib.