Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On 8/29/04 9:01 AM, "Greg Locke" <locke@straylight.ca> typed: > OK I'll weigh in with my equipment history story. > Long story if you want to check out now. (but typical of a professional > freelancer) > > In 1983, at age 22, I left Newfoundland to work with United Press Canada > (UPI affiliate) in Toronto. > > I had an M4, 21 and a 50 (inherited from an America Uncle) ...and a I had a > very complete Olympus SLR system (2 OM1's, 2 OM2's) ...and I was lusting > the > new OM 3's and 4's. > > Not having to shoot pro sports I never needed long fast glass much ...until > Toronto. > > I was fine with my OM system, I had a 300 f4.5, until the wear and tear of > daily use meant an overhaul and cleaning was needed. > > Olympus didn't have an office in Canada but a distributor who had no > concept > what-so-ever of customer service, never mind the kind of service needed by > professionals. >snippet< > The Nikon F's are GREAT cameras and combined with good professional service > and support from Nikon (which is lax these days) is the smart choice for > self-employed photographers who still shoot film. > > I know Ted gets or got great support from Leica and Kindermann (when they > were the dealer) but that all changed too, maybe Ted can fill us in on his > experience with professional support from Leica. > > I can't image them doing for me what Nikon did or does. > > Digital is different world and a different story..... > Greg Locke I think one has a couple of backups and lenses of focal lengths close enough together or overlapping so if one goes out you can get by with using the one next to it. When you first start out maybe your only longer tele might be a 300. But if you do a lot of that stuff you quickly find yourself also using a 400 and a 200. So if your 300 goes out you can get buy with the next one over and crop or use your imagination. Or God forbid you also have a 200-400 zoom which is heavy, slow, more responsive to backlit trouble but which: Zooms. Weeeeeeee! In the case of Olympus OM glass they are cheap and less to choose from.... So you get them all! :) 250mm f/2.0 EDIF 300mm f/4.5 350mm f/2.8 EDIF 400mm f/6.3 500mm 600mm f/6.5 1000mm f/11.0 But no long zooms. Weird! 50-250mm f/5.0 Zuiko AUTO zoom 65-200mm f/4.0 S-Zuiko AUTO zoom 70-210mm f/4.5 ~ f/5.6 Zuiko AUTO Zoom 85-250mm f/5.0 http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/ zuiko/htmls/400mm.htm I think they are all here: http://www.datasync.com/~farrar/zuiko.html I just checked at least now a 500 Zuiko mirror lens goes for $139.95. The price of the lens cap for the Leica 500. And which may produce sharper images. Three are more Nikons and each one cost more. So you pick and choose but you don't care if you come close as its nice to have a back up in case the Nikon helicopter is not running to Newfoundland that day. Of if they overlap or double up even. In case you want one on your color body and one on your black and white body. And one on your digital body. This is the Leica tele lineup. SUMMILUX-R ? f/1.4/80 mm APO-SUMMICRON-R ? f/2/90 mm APO-MACRO-ELMARIT-R ? f/2.8/100 mm ? APO-SUMMICRON-R ? f/2/180 mm ? APO-ELMARIT-R ? f/2.8/180 mm ? APO-TELYT-R ? f/4/280 mm VARIO-ELMAR-R f/4.2/105-280 mm VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R f/2.8/70-180 mm VARIO-ELMAR-R f/4/80-200 mm APO-TELYT-R Modul-System ? f/2.8/280 mm APO-TELYT-R Modul-System ? f/2.8/400 mm APO-TELYT-R Modul-System ? f/4/400 mm APO-TELYT-R Modul-System ? f/5.6/560 mm APO-TELYT-R Modul-System ? f/4/560 mm ? APO-TELYT-R Modul-System ? f/5.6/800 mm My rough guess of what it would cost to accrue the above 15 units would be what? 20 grand? I may be way off. Naturally there is the "not modern" options which I understand often go for chump change. And we could bring back the thread for the twelfth time as to whether the Modul-System is viable or not regardless of cost. I'll selling my house and getting one tomorrow. I guess for the cost of a modest not all inclusive Modul-System you could get the entire Nikon tele lineup pretty much listed here: 300mm f/2.8D ED-IF II AF-S 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED AF-S II Nikkor 500mm f/4D IF-ED AF-S II Nikkor 600mm f/4D IF-ED AF-S II Nikkor 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR AF Zoom-Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 500mm f/8 Reflex Nikkor Ai-S 50-300mm /4.5 ED Zoom-Nikkor Ai-S Pulling these from the Nikon and Leica sites I before hand expected the Nikon offerings to of course to be overwhelmingly more overwhelming than the Leica. I find just about just the opposite. Blessed be the list makers. For they discover the keys to the universe. Which is basically they less they offer the less you can afford them anyway. But maybe not. Mark Rabiner Photography Portland Oregon http://rabinergroup.com/