Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/04/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I think that if you look at it from a different perspective you can see what it's for: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=94306&hl=en&ll=37.427342,-122.143907&spn=0.001962,0.0028&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=67.840216,77.695313&hnear=Palo+Alto,+California+94306&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=37.427183,-122.144181&panoid=EVC1jMrVLYQJbJQ5wKLxkQ&cbp=12,43.84,,0,10.37 That building across the street to the left (just behind the orange fire hydrant) is Keeble and Shuchat Photography. I've always assumed that they installed this thing to give their customers a high-contrast object on which to test autofocus (or Leica rangefinder) when they're thinking of buying a camera. When you're looking at a camera at K&S the salesman often says "Why don't you take this outside and try the focus and zoom?" This spire guarantees that the autofocus will find something to lock on to. Here's the view from outside K&S: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=94306&hl=en&ll=37.42764,-122.143799&spn=0.001949,0.003562&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=67.840216,77.695313&hnear=Palo+Alto,+California+94306&t=m&layer=c&cbll=37.427581,-122.143851&panoid=xLEvYIrm9tOuUXpsm5kodw&cbp=12,221.33,,0,2.85&z=19