Hi All,
Alex asked:
> So the question is this, if you are limited to just a
> single camera body and 3 lenses, which system would you
> chose and why?
This is not that easy a question to answer. It would depend on the
applications anticipated. I'll spec two kits, depending. Oly is missing,
I'll explain why below.
1. Professional kit. This assumes one makes one's living with the pictures.
Canon EOS 1n - utterly reliable, rugged, and fast. Good matrix meter.
Canon 20mm f2.8 - very good, fast lens.
Canon 28-70mm f2.8 L - Maybe the best lens in its class
Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L - Same with this lens.
The rationale is maximun coverage with top quality, speed, and versatility.
Personally, I like the Canon (and Oly) lenses' look better than Nikon's
equivalents, and the F5 is both too heavy and expensive for my tastes. CPS
is another plus - support is nice to have.
2. Personal kit. This means I'm taking the kinds of photographs I like for
my own use and occassional sale.
Leica M6 .85 - utterly reliable, quiet and unobtrusive.
Summilux 35mm f1.4 ASPH - the best 35mm lens made.
Summilux 50mm f1.4 - an excellent 1.4
Elmarit 135mm f3.4 ASPH - the best 135mm lens made.
Here the key is optical quality and low light performance. The .85 version
of the M6 makes the 135mm usable with a rangefinder.
So why no Olys? On the professional level speed is too important for many of
my assignments, and the AF and matrix-metered Canon with its top of the line
lenses are a combination Oly can't compete with. Personally, since I could
specify a "dream" system, I choose lenses that most of us cannot afford, but
offer unparalleled performance when one has all the time in the world and no
art director looking over one's shoulder, deadline in hand.
Olys are, in my opinion, an excellent compromise between the two kits
outlined above. For the professional (or amateur) who seldom needs the speed
of AF and has the time to properly meter every scene, Olys are wonderful.
The lenses stack up very well against Canon and a number of Leica lenses.
Will von Dauster
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