Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/01/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]There's one single situation I'm involved in that the foot-zoom doesn't work and that's when I'm taking pictures of the team skaters. I place myself higher up in the middle of the rink. A 45 would be perfect when they're in the middle of the rink and a 70 when they're at either end. So I'm actually on the look-out for one of those otherwise useless zooms: 35-70. Absolutely no useful range in normal conditions, but I would look pretty silly pendling back and forth on the sidelines at breakneck speed to zoom with my feet :) Daniel On Tue, 20 Jan 2004, B. D. Colen wrote: > Funny, my problem with the 75 wasn't focusing - it was focal length; 75 > is a neither-nor length - too tight when you want a 50, not tight enough > when you want a longer lens. I actually tested it out once and found it > only got me one of my steps closer to the subject, and that's not close > enough if I want to get closer than a 50 would bring me. So for me, the > 85 is definitely superior, as is a 90. > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Marty > Deveney > Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 2:53 AM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: RE: [Leica] Nikon RF 85/2 Lens - User Experience > > > > Hi, > > Coming to the rescue of a favourite lens . . . ! > > B.D. wrote: > >Nope - he means the Nikon 85 1.4 AIS lens, which as near as I can tell, > > >is identical to the current autofocus version. Both are killer lenses, > >with a "finger print" indistinguishable from >that of the magnificent - > > >or it would be if it were an 85 ;-) - Leica >M 75 1.4. > > No, and yes. The AF 85/1.4 Nikkor has internal focusing, the AiS does > not. The AF has nine elements in eight groups, the AiS has seven > elements in five groups (even if several Nikon sites say it has seven > elements in nine groups!?). Clearly a different design. The results > are very similar. In extreme tests the AF has some colour fringing and > the AiS a little distortion and is softer at the edges. Depending on > what you do the softness might be an advantage. The AF is sharper if > you like taking pictures of little B&W lines and developing for > acutance. People argue about this, of course. > > None of this matters much in real life. I kept the AiS, mostly because > it has a 'look' more like the Leica-M 75/1.4, which although I love it, > try as I might, I cannot focus consistently on an M camera. > > Gary wrote: > >Oh please. While the Nikkor may be sharp, the sun has yet to rise or > >set on the day a Nikkor has the bokeh of a Leica. > > If there is a difference between these particular Nikkor and Leica > lenses, it's _not_ in the bokeh. The optical formulas are so similar as > to make the bokeh of this pair almost indistinguishable (shall we > conduct a test!?). The real differences lie in the Leica having better > coating (making it less flare-prone and having slightly better colour > saturation) and tighter QC (meaning you're less likely to get a 'dog' > and that it costs three times as much). Of course the Leica is a 75, > the Nikkor an 85. As B.D. points out, that probably is the most > significant difference apart from the fact that the Nikkor attaches to > an SLR and the Leica attaches to an M rangefinder. > > The Leica 80/1.4 R might be stellar too, but I never tried it because > I'm not a big fan of the R cameras. The best of all the 85's may well > be the Carl Zeiss 85/1.2 http://www.cameraquest.com/z8512.htm but it has > a 1 metre close-focus and is like hen's teeth. The Zeiss 85/1.4 is also > amazing. > > Now, let's all go find one of Kyle's posts and read the last line . . . > > Marty > > > > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > Get your Free Global name@sharkattacks.com e-mail address at > http://www.sharkattacks.com > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html