Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]A very nice post, Jim. A couple of thoughts in reply (and by the way, those thoughts to which I am not replying are those where I agree with you completely. Which is the majority of your post). >>>>>>>>>> When using AF, one is indulging in a particular type of photography. More like "record" photography than artistic photography. Record the birthday party, record the wedding, record the basketball player, record the 100m dash, record an auto race... If one is using AF, one is probably also using AE (auto exposure). Basically P&S. In this respect, the key elements that the photographer controls are film type and composition. <<<<<<<<<<< Not necessarily. A couple months back I purchased a Nikon F100 (the handling of it is far, far more agreeable to me than the R8 -- just personal preferance -- and the handling of the body is every bit as important to me as the quality of the lenses). I shoot with it completely manually. I set exposure manually. I set focus manually. I use it much as you describe use of your cameras. But having electronic focus confirmation (addressed later in your post) in five easily-selected locations I have found a significant convenience. Likewise having five locations of tight spot meters. And I find myself using bracketing more than I expected I would. In short, with AF comes other conveniences that make, for some (many?) of us, a camera body even more useful even with manual photography. >>>>>>>>>> Can you envision Tina using an AF Leica? Not likely. <<<<<<<<<< Actually, knowing that she has used and still owns an AF Minolta (Photo Techniques -- perhaps under its previous name -- featured an exceptional portfolio of Tina's work, all shot with a Maxxum several years back), yes, I can envision this. >>>>>>>>>> What percentage of the existing customer base would indulge? What percentage of new camera buyers would be swayed away from Canon/Nikon/Minolta/Pentax? Just where is the market for an AF Leica? <<<<<<<<<< The market would be photographers who want the optically best lenses to use with all the modern SLR conveniences, regardless of cost. Were such a Leica SLR body available, in a form I found agreeable, I would certainly consider trading in my Nikon system and buying into it. I suspect I'm not alone. >>>>>>>>>> I personally believe that the fast, do everything, AF market is already mature and saturated. And that Leica would be foolish to spend it's funds trying to break in. <<<<<<<<<<< I disagree. My F100 was purchased less than two months after their first US availability. Its serial number, assuming I'm interpreting it correctly, suggests that Nikon had already manufactured over 18,000 of these bodies. A recent post, from a visitor to Solms, indicated that Leica sold around 2000 R8 bodies in a year. One could reasonably argue I'm comparing apples to oranges here. But, if these figures are indeed correct, I would argue that these numbers indicate a much larger potential market for an AF Leica SLR than for Leica's current SLR offering. Larry