Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/02

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Subject: [Leica] Re:Japanese paper reports Canon to take over Leica
From: FELIXMATURANA at telefonica.net (Félix López de Maturana)
Date: Mon Jan 2 07:16:06 2006
References: <200601020057.k020rwmS000626@server1.waverley.reid.org>

>I suspect you are among those few who own and use
>both the Leica M 50mm Noctilux, as well as the Canon EOS
>50mm f1.0 lens.  If I am correct, may I ask what your
>personal opinion on these two, comparatively speaking ?
>
>I often find myself photograpjing at extremely low light
>levels (recently at f1.4, ISO 1600, 1/15 sec), so a fast
>lens is always welcome in my camera bag.   However, in some sense,
>the issue is moot for me as in such situations, I prefer the results
>from digital sensors than any current film.  This is why I find
>a high-quality digital rangefinder camera so appealing.
>
>Regardless, I am still curious, and I thank you in advance
>for your opinion, and await your reply with much esteem
>and anticipation.
>
>- Phong


Hi Phong! Same wishes for you in the next year. You guessed right I do 
not like give opinions of material I do not own. I'm a happy Leica owner 
and user but, besides, another 50 cameras and 100 lenses make me rather 
skeptical about the *perfect* equipment above all others. I must 
declare, anyway, that if any, Leica is the best. But that said other 
manufacturers produce very good equipment and, almost all,  with a much 
better quality/price ratio.

Canon 50mm f1 is huge, is weighty end softer than Canon 50mm f1.8, has a 
slow autofocus but full open, while having a different signature, it's 
not worse than Noctilux nor the Nikon 1.2 that I use with my Nikon F3. 
The Noctilux is smaller, lighter but not better full open while sharper 
if you close some stops.

For low light pictures there is long time ago I do prefer using a Canon 
EOS 1Ds MkII  at 3200 ISO  but not with the f1 lens -with his minimal 
DOF- but with another more "practical" lenses. Digital is superb -more 
Canon that Nikon- in low light situations. Even last camera Canon EOS 5D 
excels in low light. For checking  this, please have a look to my last 
work in Santiago de Compostela: El p?rtico de la Gloria with very scarce 
light and a difficult mix of natural and artificial light..

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=554115

Regards

Felix