Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] If Leica is too expensive what would be the best alternative?
From: Nathan Wajsman <nathan.wajsman@euronet.be>
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 19:28:22 +0200

Hi Alexander,

Besides my Leica, I have two Pentax SLR bodies and several lenses. One of
the bodies is the wonderful, manual Pentax LX. It shares some of the Leica
M6's virtues: nice design, traditional, shutter operates with dead battery
(at 1/75 sec. and faster speeds). Also, you can get many good lenses for it,
both Pentax and independent. It is not cheap, however--a new one lists for
$1200 (body only) at B&H Photo in New York. For lower-cost alternatives,
there is the Pentax ME Super (second-hand only). There is also a new, manual
focus Pentax (the model designation escapes me) that was reviewed in the
current issue of Practical Photography and got good scores, but I would not
like it--it is too modern and too dependent on electronics.

I am sure there are similar offerings in the Nikon/Minolta/Olympus/Canon
world. The thing I like about Pentax is that their lens mounts have not
changed with the switch to autofocus (except for some electronic contacts,
of course) which means that my old manual focus lenses are usable on my
autofocus Pentax, and my new autofocus lenses can be used on the old LX. I
believe that only Pentax has this backward compatibility.

Nathan

Alexander en Katinka Koning wrote:

> Dear Luggers,
>
> Since the majority of us probably didn't start with a Leica, I wonder if
> you can help me with the choice between the different brands like
> Minolta, Canon, Nikon or Pentax. I rather buy a non-AF camera, because I
> like to spend my money rather on a good lens than on electronical
> gadgets. Ideally I prefer a lens or a serie of lenses that resembles the
> leica the most. Thank you in advance.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> Alexander Koning



- --
Nathan Wajsman
Overijse, Belgium

Photography page:  http://members.tripod.com/~belgiangator/index.html
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