RE: [Leica] Leica technology, creative control

["B. D. Colen" <BDColen@earthlink.net>]

By leaving it on full auto mode, I had no more waste
than by using aperture priority/central or spot metering. For me, that means
the IT system is excellent. With the F5, which I have never used,
I'm ready to believe the metering/expsosure management is even better
and that the AF sensors of the F5 are ideally placed to allow the camera
to take most of the focusing decisions as well.

REPLY:

You are absolutely right - Using an  camera the quality equivalent of the
N90/F5/EOSetc.- you are going to get most photos "right" in terms of
exposure and focus. These are really quite phenomenal technological marvels
when you consider what they are able to do and in how little time they are
able to do it.

That said...Because the camera "does it," the photographer may stop putting
as much thought into the process, and therefore is more likely to end up
with a higher proportion of photos that are technically "right," but
artistically/creatively less interesting than they could be. The camera will
not decide that the photo would convey a certain mood better if it were 1.5
stops over-exposed. The camera cannot decide where the point of focus should
be. The camera cannot decide how much depth of field would produce the most
interesting image.

Yes, you can do all that thinking even of you use an EOS1n instead of an M6
or an R8, but will you (I use "you" generically)? The EOSes of the photo
world are absolutely ideal for the paparazi and their ilk. If you have to
grab a shot come hell or high water, grab it with an EOS and grab 7 shots in
the time you'd grab 1.5 with the M. But if you want produce photographs that
make a statement, that make the viewer think, it's essential that you, the
photographer think, and I believe you're more likely to do that with a
camera that can't think for you.
IMHO ;-)