The amount of nonsense you just spewed in this rant is amazing! Your comments include things that are not even remotely relevant to the subject of the original article, which is about an autofocus Leica compact camera. I don't know where to begin, but let's start with your ending comment about Leica?s inability to ?discover? autofocus.
Leica patented an autofocus system (as did Honeywell) before the first AF cameras were introduced. Leica did not implement it on their rangefinder cameras because they did not have a need to - their customers bought the RF cameras because they WANTED an RF camera! Leica wisely chose to license their AF technology. The rangefinder system was so good it remains much as it was a half century ago with only minor technological updates. Many advanced amateurs and professionals trust the RF over AF systems and have no problems focusing under extremely poor light. It certainly does better under adverse conditions than the high-end SLR cameras you mentioned and is not dependant on the maximum aperture of the lens in use.
You chastise the company for being technologically backward. Leica made a high-end 26.4 megapixel professional digital camera with interchangeable lenses over a dozen years ago.
More recently, Leica had an SLR digital back that attached to their 35mm R8 and R9 SLR film cameras, and the owner could switch between film, digital, and back again in minutes. How many camera makers give you that flexibility in the 35mm body format?
Their latest pro-level camera is the S2 - a 37.5mp camera that uses a larger than 35mm sensor, but the body is comparable to Nikon's DX3 (35mm). Incidentally, the S2 also offers AF?
Off the cuff comments without facts to back them up only hurt the company being slammed without reason.
I won't go into the differences in Leica glass vs. other brands, but I will say as an owner of pro lenses from Nikon, Zeiss, Schneider, Rodenstock, Pentax, among others, Leica's optics are at the top of the game. It is to Panasonic's credit they chose to partner with Leica for their optical prowess.
There are no perfect cameras, any one can do something better than another in the professional range, but then you threw even the Leica digital M into your rant, which really was baseless and irrelevant to the original article and your initial rant.
Disclaimer: I do not work for Leica in any capacity, but have used their equipment for over 40 years alongside the above-mentioned systems...
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