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New Leica R Photographs in National Geographic


geddert

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I don't know if you have already seen it, but there is an article on

Bald Eagles in this months National Geographic with photo's by Robert

Norton. The photos are spectatcular, and I went to the website to

look at some photo's taken for this article and it looks like they

were all taken with an R8 and almost exclusiviely with a 180/2 and

modular 400/2.8 and 800/5.6 leica lenses. I can't necessarily say

these photo's couldn't have been done with another camera, but it is

very possible. This guy was in Northern Alaska during winter shooting

these majestic birds, and the tempetature would have made using a

battery powered camera very difficult (i.e. he sat in blinds for

weeks on end). - there is a photo of the photographer in the back of

hte magazine, and if his clothes say anything, they say that this

camera and lens combo (as well as the photographer) dealt with

extreme colds pretty well.

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I would hardly say spectacular. A couple of the pictures were good (I particularly liked the one that's available as a poster, if only one of the wings wasn't cut off). But for the most part they were pretty repetitive. IMHO they should have sent Frans Lanting or Jim Brandenburg.
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I agree that Frans Lanting would have been better (as a matter of fact i would say he would almost always be better if it is a wildlife project) - but there is only one of him and i'm sure he is working on something spectucular. I think some of the photo's aren't that great as well, but really like the spread on 38-39, the sunest in the trees shot, and the one you mentioned as well.
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<i>

This guy was in Northern Alaska during winter shooting these majestic birds, and the tempetature would have made using a battery powered camera very difficult

</i>

<p>

Apparently not, since the R8 is an electronic, battery-powered camera.

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Dear Matthew,

 

Don't be too confused about your mistake on the very nature of the R8.

 

And please, don't delete this thread...

 

I think your mistake reveals what many of us have tried to make understood by part of others here:

 

The all mechanical superiority is nowadays a myth! Even in very cold climate (sometimes with a well known to other makes users external battery pack to be stocked in a warm pocket) a "battery dependent" camera is perfectly reliable... And battery dependence a total non-issue!...

 

To me, your post is significant of the bias toward the alleged superiority of old technology which is pervasive - it seems - in this group. It should be kept in the archives as a demonstration this attitude is a totally unfounded bias.

 

It conforts me into my opinion, Leica is still the king when it goes to the lenses but - particularly with M bodies - deliberately lagging behind in technology and only maintains this suicidal policy with the help of such biased opinions...

 

It demonstrates some of our friends here should revise their judgements and try to assess things on a tad more objective base.

 

Friendly

 

François P. WEILL

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Norbert Rosing always uses leica r8's in extreme environments. I actually

think that the bald eagle work is not his best. A piece in nat. geo. on walruses

(?!) was incredible and produced some of the best wildlife images I've ever

seen in the magazine. (I can't find the date but imagine it was in the last 12

months) In any case, Matthew's point is well made - R8s get a load of bad

press on reliability and yet Mr Rosing seems to manage (maybe he's got 95 of

them from leica in his rucksack)

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