Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/15

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Aerial photography
From: Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 10:43:05 -0800

Pascal wrote: 
> On 15-11-1998 03:46 Donal Philby wrote: 
> >Just last month I shot lots of stuff from Chopper with an 80-200 doing
> >tight closeups 
> 
> Thanks for the report.
> I guess such assignment would be much easier with e.g. a Nikon F5 and the
> new 80-200/2.8  AF-S zoom lens than with a Leica R8 plus Vario-Apo
> 70-180/2.8. The optical advantage of the latter would almost certainly be
> lost due to focusing troubles. I can imagine it is hard (not to say
> virtually impossible) to do such job with manual lenses, especially two
> ring zooms like the Leica one. The rate of successful pictures would
> probably be much higher with an AF system than with a manual system.

Pascal,
Maybe the F5 would be nice, but I don't own one and I shoot everything
with handheld meter and manual focus usually.  If I had a two ring zoom,
the AF would become mandantory since the left hand would have to control
the zoom ring.  With things that don't move much, the two ring should be
no problem.  But imagine you are standing behind the goal focusing on a
forward dribbling toward you getting bigger in the frame.  With a two
ring--difficult.  That is why I can't understand Leica building a two
ring zoom since there is no AF.  Yes I know about tripod mounts and all
that, but zooms are for moving, adapting to changing conditions, so why
make that difficult.  If you want tripod pix, use the 180.  Or perhaps
make a tripod mount like the removeable one for the 100.  Then best of
both worlds.

donal


- -- 
Donal Philby
San Diego
www.donalphilby.com