[Leica] OT Digital PS

[datamaster at northcoastphotos.com (Gary Todoroff)]

Jon - Mostly I have been shooting the Olympus C8080 digital with awesome
results from its 8 megapixel sensor and VERY sharp lens. For me, it is the
most "Leica-like" of the 8mp non-DSLR group of cameras and has been a rugged
rangefinder companion on several shoots both in the air and on the ground. I
think it gives professional quality in a package that is more in keeping
with the size and feel of an "M" body. Shutter lag time isn't as good as a
Leica or a Nikon 100 digital, but it's not that bad either. The on switch is
immediate and that's good. Best part is the wide zoom at 28mm. The 140mm
equivalent telephoto end isn't as long as some, but most Leica M shooters go
for wide ten times over the telephotos. I think the C-8080 optics are so
fantastic because Olympus did not try to cover an enormous zoom range.

Except for a couple of design drawbacks (power button too easy to switch off
and problems with manual focus at infinity), the C8080 has been a very
impressive camera, even when judged against almost 40 years with Leicas. And
the whole camera costs one-third the cost of one Leica lens. Man, I wish
Leica could get its act together on the digital side of things! They are
loosing the faithful at a rapid pace - just about the only thing you can say
about Leica these days that is happening at any kind of speed.

For an Olympus C8080 sample, check out:
http://www.northcoastphotos.com/USCGPhot/C-130Cockpit.jpg , which I took
recently while flying with the Coast Guard. On a 12x18 inch enlargement, you
can see every thread on the uniforms and read the smallest letters on each
instrument and even the map in the co-pilots lap.

Your budget of $200-$300 today will not buy you anything remotely like a
Leica, I'm afraid, although I've seen some sharp images from low-cost
digital. But the handling and features are not there. At about $800 the
C-8080 has been well-worth the money. Just sweep through a few more closets
for raising that money on eBay!

Regards,
Gary Todoroff
(Tree LUGger)
Eureka, CA

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+datamaster=northcoastphotos.com@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+datamaster=northcoastphotos.com@leica-users.org]On
Behalf Of jon.stanton@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 10:45 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: [Leica] OT Digital PS


The time has come to go digital (yeh..right) I am cleaning out my basement,
closets and plan on listing some items on e bay. Digital pictures are always
an asset. Any suggestions on a camera? No idea on the price range
$200-$300?? Either Panasonic or Sony for the Leica/Zeiss glass is what I
would lean towards....Thanks



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