Design

[Tom Droege <droege@wwa.com>]

Design is a tough business.  As soon as you make a decision,
it is amost guaranteed to be wrong.  But if you never make 
decisions the product does not get out the door.  I am trying
to make 10 or so identical quadruplets.  Once I freeze the design
I just want to produce it.  

The optics is sort of the last item in the design to settle.  I think
I am zeroing in on a 400 mm f/4 if it can be produced cheaply 
enough.  As usual, one has to make a decision before all the
information is in.  

Some of you have suggested mirror optics, and other things.  There
is really "no time to test" if I want to get systems out into the field
by 99.  My logic goes something like this, if the mirror lenses worked
great, then the paperatzi would not be lugging around all that glass.
Also I see rows of *big* glass lenses at the super bowl and other
sporting events.  The few people doing similar things are also buying
glass.  OK, I don't believe in following the herd.  Still I think a nice 
glass refractor will work, and other choices will require long R&D.

I am also pretty sure that a Schmidt will be the right solution for
the Mark V.  We are working on that.  

Thanks for all the good ideas.  I think my mind is made up for now.
Of course if Elliot does not come up with a possible design then
we will go at it again.

The pre-production Mark IV will surely be tested with the 135mm f/2s
that I have.  I dug out the one good picture I have taken with it and
when one mentally masks out the flaws it is pretty impressive. 

Yell loudly if you think I am making a big mistake.  

Tom Droege