[Leica] The Zeiss Choice

[billgem at hotmail.com (Bill Marshall)]

On Wednesday, Seth Rosner wrote:
>"Bill, on reading this, I have become persuaded that what is meant 
>technically is simply that no other rangefinder camera focuses down to 
>0.5m. If I am correct, that ain't very complex or very persuasive. It 
>certainly is misleading to suggest a quantum leap of "performance 
>standards."

Seth, I agree that the marketing lingo - like most market-speak - is over 
the top, although I don't think they ever suggested a "quantum leap." The 
question that I have tried to pursue is whether the marketing statements are 
nothing but hype or whether there is some substance there. The fact is that 
there IS some substance to the statement - & I emphasize "some." The fact is 
that the Zeiss wide angle lenses cannot be used to their full capabilities 
on any other camera. Whether that is important to anyone is another matter. 
You may not be persuaded; we will see if others are. I certainly am not 
interested in persuading yo or anyone else; I would just like to be full 
informed & to sort out the hype from the facts.

Is it very complex to design a RF camera system that will close focus with 
rangefinder coupling to 0.5 or 0.3 meters? I have no idea; I'm not an 
engineer or a camera designer. But I know that no other rangefinder camera 
does this & that Leica charges $850 for a special macro-adapter to allow the 
tele-macro to be focused to 0.5m. If it's "not complex," why doesn't anyone 
else do it? Any basic rangefinder primer advises newcomers that one of the 
restrictions of a RF system is that it can't focus much closer than a meter 
or so. Leica has this down to 27 inches (0.7m). Zeiss is claiming to have 
cut this distance by 30% to 19 inches. Not a big deal? Many Nikon users like 
myself value their old 28/2.8 AIS lenses that can close focus to 8 inches. 
Compared to this 19" is not a big deal, but it is a big improvement on 27."

Seth, you may not have a need to get in closer than 27" with a wide angle 
lens, so you are not persuaded. That's fine. For those of us who do like to 
shoot closer, it is a meaningful difference. As I said in my original post, 
it's nice to have the choice.