Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] M camera NOW R camera ?
From: Douglas Herr <telyt@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 08:36:13 -0700 (PDT)

bdcolen <bdcolen@earthlink.net> wrote:

> "Most capable?" Where's the autofocus? Where are the 35 1.4 
> and 28 1.4 lenses? Where's the 10 fps motor? Where are any 
> number of features that many, many, many - nay, countless - 
> professional and non-professional photographers consider 
> essential?

B.D., the 35mm f/1.4 R is in the Leica catalog.

A 10 fps motor is essential if you don't know how to time your exposures or if the shutter lag is so long that capturing the right moment depends on capturing lots of moments and editing later.

Motorized rewind is essential if you have to depend on a 10 fps motor and you change film every few seconds.

AF is essential if the camera's viewfinder isn't good enough to focus manually.  See "Pete", "Black Skimmer", "Golden Eagle" and "Sharp-shinned Hawk" on my website - use a camera with a good viewfinder and focussing a lens suddenly isn't rocket science.

3D color matrix metering is essential if the photographer has forgotten the basics of exposure metering.

IS/VR is essential if one has forgotten how to hold a cmaera steady.  I regularly use a 400mm lens at 1/125 or even 1/60 sec hand-held, and the 560 at 1/125 or 1/250 sec.  "Prairie Warbler" was made at 1/60 sec, "Black Skimmer", "Northern Goshawk, immature" and "Pied-billed Grebe" were exposed for 1/125 sec, and "Coyote" and "Sharp-shinned Hawk" were 1/300 sec exposures, with a hand-held 560mm lens.

These features can be handy if one is rushed and can't take the time to use appropriate technique but the cameras that have these features lack what I consider essential: R lenses.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
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Replies: Reply from "SML" <leirex@access4less.net> (Re: [Leica] M camera NOW R camera ?)