Here is an attempt of a little report of the LEAF AFi roadshow .
The roadshow was well vistited by professionals , but nonetheless I had enough time to do some test shootings .
There are currently only 3 beta models of the LEAF AFi available (worldwide , and the same is valid for SINAR HY6 and ROLLEIFLEX HY6) and only one was available for this roadshow . No prismfinder and only the standard SCHNEIDER XENOTAR 2,8/80 AFD lens .
But all camera bodies are the same and can also attach the same backs and film magazines .
This AFi is a LEAF and was only equipped with a LEAF APTUS 75S .
There is a little difference between the LEAF , SINAR and Rolleiflex bodies , which is the color of the control buttons . AFi is grey , ROLLEIFLEX HY6 is red and SINAR HY6 might be blue . No final decision yet .
Let us look to the backs first . The possibility to "rotate" the back for portrait or landscape is not a swivel operation , but just pressing a little button and you can pull the back off the body , rotate it by hand and put it on again . The position control is done by 4 pins , one in each corner of the back . So this feature is only good for studio work , but very laborious for event photography , because you need to do the "swivel" with a lot of care .
The above is valid for any digital back as well as for the 4,5x6 film back .
WLF . Not a beauty but very solid and much wider , than the V-SYSTEM WLF . The control button to flip out the diopter lens (similar to V-SYSTEM) is not in the middle , but at the right side . I think , this is very handy , because you will not find your fingerprints on the diopterglass , if you do not move away your fingers fast enough . ( This happens to me very often with the V-SYSTEM WLF )
SCHNEIDER XENOTAR 2,8/80 AFD .
This was the only lens available at the roadshow . The following lenses will be available by the end of the year . 50 , 80 , 150 and possibly a zoom . Other lenses will follow next year , especially the 28mm FLEKTAGON WA lens .
Now the CUBE .
I can only talk for righthanders . If you are a real lefthander , you might have some trouble here .
What I noticed right away , when I took the camera into my hands , it is , as if it was a V-SYSTEM camera , although there is the big and very handy grip on the right side . That grip has a little LCD info display on top , showing you the current aperture and the shutter speed .
There is still room for other info in a second line , for ex&le , what is the current temperature , or how many beers you already had .
The type of this info is still not finally decided .
If you hold the camera like a 501CM for ex&le , but still your right hand around the grip , you will find your left middle finger very near a small button , which when pressed allows you to rotate the grip into 4 different positions , including almost vertical and almost horizontal . This very handy in deed .
With the fingers of your right hand you can serve the release button but also some other little keys for various operations . I can not remember all of them , but one is the mirror prerelease . Very handy. The mirror flip up and down is very silent . I was surprised.
Now to the left side of the cube . All buttons here are recessed , so that you can lay down the camera onto this side . I could operate all of them easily with my left thoumb .
Four groups of keys positioned in a circle . The front is a flash shoes and a little flash control button . On the top you will find the camera control buttons , very similar to the ones from a 203FE or 205TCC . in the rear are the keys for the meter setting options , like spot or differential metering . At the bottom you fin the Af control keys , like S = single AF , C = continious AF and M = manual . All groups also have a little locking key , so that you can lock your setting .
On the left top front corner you still find a little wheel , where you can adjust for single shot and multi shot .
This multishot does not refer to multishot possibility of digital backs , but indicates , that you can doe successive shots , after you did a prerelease of the mirror . So between the shots , there is no mirror movement .
The AF is very fast but I found it is a bit noisy , as if there is a little bit of sand in the lens .
But this lens was a beta version as well . I am shure , the SCHNEIDER people still remove the sand .
Bodies of any type (LEAF, SINAR or ROLLEI) can be bought seperate , as well as the lenses . No Bundle need , but a bundle will shurely be cheaper .
The body will cost 3800 € here and the 2,8/80 AFD will be around 1600 € .
All items will be available by the beginning of the year 2008 .
Thats it . I hope you enjoyed the report .
Jürgen
