Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/06/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Digital Back - I like the first step!
From: Douglas Herr <telyt@earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 12:14:54 -0700 (PDT)

Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com> wrote:

> I swear, if Leica ever produces an AF camera, within the 
> first three weeks of it being available, we'll be reading 
> messages like:
>
> "This is sooo good, the autofocus is so much faster than I 
> can focus manually."
>
> "I love the focus verification for my failing eyesight."
>
> "The autofocus is great, and if you want manual, you can 
> always turn it off."

Martin, there will always be divigent opinions about changes in a product.  That's why Leica makes both M7 and MP bodies (not to mention three viewfinder magnifications) and different people like each of them.  BTW my failing eyesight likes the SL's viewfinder, the trombone focus of the f/6.8 Telyts (and APO lenses, BTW) *WITH THE SL VIEWFINDER* is quick and accurate, and manual focus with an AF-optimized viewfinder is always a compromise.  I have absolutely no interest in an AF camera, especially if it involves a compromised viewfinder.

I suspect that anyone who prefers AF has already bought something besides Leica R.  A digital back for the R8 and R9 would offer a digital capture option to someone who prefers a good viewfiner over AF.  Given that Canon has shown that 6 MP can make darned good images and 11 MP can make superb images (or so I understand) it's certainly possible to use the 10 MP of the proposed R digial back to produce images essentially as good as the 11 MP EOS 1Ds (assuming equal lenses).  As I see it the ~$8,000 1Ds with a compromised viewfinder is overpriced compared with the R8+digital back.  YMMV.


Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
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