[Leica] Canon really has AF figured out...

[Jim Laurel <jplaurel@microsoft.com>]

Hello LUG,
I just reviewed a bunch of shots I did for an upcoming MSNBC story on white
water rafting.  I took a couple of EOS1n bodies, with a variety of thier L
series lenses, including the wonderful 70-200 2.8L, 300 2.8L, and 1.4x EF
extender.  Once again, I am very impressed with the Canon AF system.  At one
section, I was using the 300 2.8L hand-held with server AI autofocus.  The
rafts were coming so fast, that most of the time, they didn't look in focus
to me when the shutter actuated, but predictive AF was doing its job.  The
system accurately predicted the focus point when the shutter fired.  Focus
on many shots was good enough to see minute detail, like graduated markings
on water bottles.  Just amazing.

I was never good enough in the old days to get such a high hit rate of
in-focus images of subjects moving toward me with manual-focusing systems.
For sure, I would not have had as many potentially usable shots to show my
editor on this shoot.  There were only two short rapids on this trip, and I
had to get my shots there or not at all.

On topic...Though I use and admire the R system, I think Leica will
eventually have to compete at this level.  Would an R8, even with motor, and
in the hands of an experienced user yeild as many usable photos as the EOS1n
in this case?  I wonder.  It would seem that with this advanced AF stuff,
you can concentrate on composition, which is really hard when you're sitting
in a moving boat.

- --Jim