[Leica] dumb luck autofocus

[Robert Appleby <robert.appleby@tin.it>]

>>>>>>
Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2000 12:13:02 -0500
From: Austin Franklin <austin@darkroom.com>
Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Greg Bicket's focus thread
Message-ID: <01C04721.C8FE0F40@user-2ive2pg.dialup.mindspring.com>
References: 

> Umm, if I want the focus point halfway down the face so only on the
> left eye is in focus, I guide the autofocus point right over that
> left eye, press a button, and it focuses there. It works. Really.

Umm all you want, but I've tried a number of autofocus systems, with high 
hopes mind you, and yes, I know how to use them.  Yes, you can get these 
results by dumb luck, sometimes, but the autofocus system has an angle of 
view, and that angle is not necessarily very small.  They focus on the 
closest thing within their view.

Would you please state what camera, what f stop, lense, and how far you 
were away from the subject?

<<<<<<<

Well Austin, every time I have a quick play with my wife's F100 (and she's
a pro photographer, not a bimbo with an expensive toy, which is how women
photographers are so often portrayed on this list) I'm amazed by how fast
and accurate the autofocus is. In varying light conditions, a range of
lenses and subjects and subject distances. Some things it doesn't work on,
but they would be difficult to focus on anyway. I don't have a list ready,
sorry, but I mean low contrast or very small (relative to the focus spot)
subjects. For 95 or more % of subjects it works incredibly well.
I'm happy with my Leicas (well the lenses anyway), but I envy her her fast
focussing, flash capability and wide-angle zoom. I don't envy the amount
she spends on batteries, or the intermittent fault it has recently
developed, or the weight of the thing with the 17-35 mounted, but as a
picture taking machine this is an incredible camera. And people say that
Canon is even better.
If the Nachtweys of this world are using the stuff, I should think it
probably works often enough to be worth using.
Rob.