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Why do you favour Leica M R Digital or P&S

Sal, to the best of my information Yashica owns Contax. Therefore, it is not the same thing. I disapprove the partnership with Panasonic because of the all plastic, zero ergonomics product - digilux that is - they came up with. It just degrades Leica's name. So, it's not that i disapprove Leica's efforts in finding a presence in the digital age with a sound partner having the know-how Leica misses. On the other hand, Leica R series never reached the precision today's Contax, Nikon and other outfits attained. It most probably owes to Leica's inaction to produce autofocus lenses. However, Contax AX solved this problem in the body and still uses manual Carl Zeiss T lenses in AF fashion. Shame on Minolta! You shouldn't take my words to mean that Leica R series cameras are bad. No, my point is they are behind Contax and Nikon in electronics. If lens quality is the issue then Contax uses Carl Zeiss which is as good as Leica. Best regards.
 
Sal and Murat,

it is even more complicated with the names. The name "Contax" and the copyright is owned by Zeiss. Zeiss began a cooperation with Yashica in the 70ies. Then Yashica was bought from Kyocera, but the cooperation between Yashica and Zeiss and the aggreement on using the name "Contax" was not touched.

Yashica has had always his own product line, but was using the same mount for the Yashica lenses and the Zeiss (for Contax) lenses, the so called C/Y mount (C= Contax, Y= Yashica).

Kyocera is a huge company and of course they can afford more experiments then Leica. Yashica/Kyocera is focussing more on the digital side and P&S. Contax is the more serious amateur/professional line.

I agree that on the SLR-line, Contax has advantages compared to Leica R. The fact that Contax changed for the new AF-line the mount (called N-mount) is actually nothing to worry about. Many people forget that other manufactuerers did that already more then a decade ago (Minolta, Canon) and some are doing this softly right now (Nikon).

When Canon and Minolta did this, it was the same pain for the users at that time as it is now for the Contax users. But it had to be done and we will all come over it. At least it is better then stucking with a limited system for the high standard we expect from the new Contax developments in the digital area.

Dirk
 
Dear Murat,

I would like to agree with your remark "If lens quality is the issue then Contax uses Carl Zeiss which is as good as Leica".

My impression of modern Zeiss lenses is that they are of varying quality. Some are excellent and others average. One of the attractions of Leica, even with lenses originating elsewhere, is the uniformity and consistency of image quality. I have sold all my modern Zeiss lenses, as to my eye they lack the subtly (smoothness) Leica. Over the years I have tried less expensive variants however never found a range of lenses which compares with Leica.

Before you conclude the comparison take the latest 1:1,4/50mm reflex lenses and compare !

Best wishes,

Justin Scott
 
The Leica lenses of the last one or two decades are simply unparalleled. If you see the results from a recent 280mm APO Leica lens, you will see that it is worth the name 'Leica'. The latest teles, the Modulars, are both unique in their flexibility, and at the pinnacle of imaging perfection. And, the latest zooms, the 80-200 and the 105-280 APO are simply amazing. Granted, they are exceedingly expensive, but they are better than the primes of most manufacturers, Zeiss and Canon included.

Of course, this is all subjective! Zeiss, Leica, Canon, Nikon, even my old Zuikos - they can all make fantastic pictures if you point them at the right subjects and get the setting right. Personally, I find the Leica SLR cameras to be very fine, though I do agree that the early Minolta collaborations (R3-R7) were not the most inspired bodies around. The R8 (and R9, I presume) are something else altogether, as are the Leicaflex SL and SL2 bodies of old.

Don't be dissin' the Leica SLRs, man, they rock! :) That said, I love my Leica rangefinder even more...
 
I'm enjoying my Leica C1 and I also have a Samsung 35-145 p&s with a Schneider lens. The pictures are far and away sharper, crisper with brighter colors than what I use to take with my Nikon FTN .I am focusing on (excuse the pun) composing the picture and telling the camera what to do to get a correct picture. Photography is becoming exciting to me now.
I would like some feedback on what others have done to graduate from these smaller cameras on to larger SLRs or to larger format cameras.
Thanks for this posting.
Tforc
 
Hello everybody,
I own an old M3 with a collapsible 5omm lens. I also own a Minizoom. While simple to handle and it has good exposure it's plastic junk. I also have a Leicaflex SL. I do mainly wildlife and landscape photography . I use an Elmarit 2.8/180 and a 2/35 Summicron. I have also used a novoflex 400mm. I would like to change to a motor drive and an apperture programe. Would you change the Leicaflex for an R-E? Or which R-series is good? I would have to have the 180mm (wonderful) adapted to the R system- is it worth it? Which affordable 400mm- 500mm lens do you recomend ?
 
Jurgen, The R-E would be a good choice. However, just about any R camera from the R4 thru R9 would be good too. The R4 had some initial problems, but I think most of them are solved. You could also trade you SL for a SL-Mot or SL2-Mot, but the camera would be very heavy and not as convient as the later R camera.
Good Luck & Happy Snaps
 
Question: I have a Contax N1 with the 24-85mm lens, its a very good camera but lately I have been thinking to trade it for Leica gear, because of their superior optics quality reputation (I know Zeiss makes great lenses too, but I have have read mixed comments about the N lenses). So I wanted to ask you for your opinion if I should do the switch from Contax to Leica.
 
I have a new Leica I haven't used yet.I also have a Contax N1 with the 24-85 lens. The pictures with the Contax and that lens are absolutely razor sharp. IF the Leica is better I'm gonna be REALLY impressed. I like my N1 for Big Lenses, the Contax G2 for a small camera..and think I'm going to love the M6. Remember that this is a Leica group and you're asking which is a better camera!!
Colorado Jeff
 
http://www.photodo.com/nav/prodindex.html

According to photodo some of the Contax lenses are better than some of the Leica lenses, however some of the lenses appear to be consumer grade lenses. I would recommend you rent a Leica of your choice with a range of lenses. The primes are sharper than the zooms, in addition the rangefinder lenses are sharper than the R lenses.

Now the advantage of the Leica lenses especially the rangefinder set is the ability to shoot wide open without any hesitation (the only exception is the Noctilux 1.0).

Best of Luck Gerry
 
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