[Leica] The Zeiss Choice

[sethrosner at nycap.rr.com (Seth Rosner)]

Bill Marshall wrote:

>I am posting the reply to my question from Hasselblad at > zeissikon.com:
>
> "The rangefinder coupling of the camera is down to 0.5 m. The 2.8/15 mm 
> lens has no coupling to the rangefinder mechanism is in the camera body. 
> The very short lens focal length makes it very easy to get the required 
> focusing precision by estimation of the object distance"

Hello-o-o, Bill:

Whoa! Now one can claim "focusing precision" by "estimating?" If that isn't 
misleading, marketing technobabble, what is?

If I wish to estimate (which I do indeed with the C-V 25/4 Skopar), why do I 
need a rangefinder at all?

And how does this Zeiss confession jibe with their claim that their superb 
long-base rangefinder is required to take advantage of the excellence of 
their lenses? Or am I missing something?

Do you recall that almost half-a-century ago, Leitz' M3 focused down to 0.5m 
AND adjusted for parallax, with the introduction of the 50/2 DR Summicron 
and its close-focus viewfinder? 1956 in case one forgets.

I have never heard a complaint from a user about focusing inaccuracy of this 
outfit at close distances.

The Zeiss effort looks more and more like a marketing exercise.

Seth