[Leica] photokina 2004

[TTAbrahams at aol.com (TTAbrahams@aol.com)]

 The jetlag is slowly abating and the brain has started to work so I figure 
it is time to put some impressions down on photokina 2004.

 In spite of all the techno stuff - photokina to us is mostly seeing friends 
and drinking Koelsch beer at Fruh (with these friends). It is a bit of an 
overload - how many variations of camera bags can you look at?!

 Leica showed some stuff, the Digital R-back - you could not take it out and 
shoot with it, but you could stick your own card in it and fire away at the 
stand. It looks impressive, but I found it of little interest because a/I 
don't 
use reflex cameras very often and b/It is damned expensive! 

 The "null-series" rebirth with the Barnack prints is nice. The selection of 
prints that you could get was hanging at the back of the Leica "playroom" 
(the 
stand with all the various Leica cameras in hands on mode). Oscar Barnack 
certainly had a good eye for journalistic images. Having used the null- 
series 
replica I am more impressed with his timing - it is not an easy camera to 
shoot 
with. There are several rather interesting ways to screw up a shot with this 
model!

 The highlight of Leica's stuff this time for me was the 50/1,4 Aspherical 
lens. When it was announced I said "$2500 for a 50/1,4-no way". Well I am 
happy 
to say that I am willing to accept eating crow for that one. It is a 
stupendously good lens! Razor sharp, even at close focus (0,7 m) and they 
have managed 
to keep the "edgy" Aspherical Bokeh to a minimum. Wide-open it is as good as 
a 
Summicron 50 at f2 - not a bad benchmark! Stefan Daniel of Leica gave me one 
to try out for 5-6 weeks and I am going to break the bank and buy it once 
that 
period is over (it will be less than mint when I return it so I should be 
able to get a break - I hope). Very comfortable lens to use - proper 
focusing tab 
and the collapsible hood stays out when you want it out too. I must say; 
good 
on you Leica! We do not need any more decorator cameras, but super glass is 
always interesting.

 The Zeiss Ikon camera is probably a good camera, but none of the shown were 
operating units - only mock-ups. The lenses on the other hand were fully 
functioning, at least the ones built by Voigtlander. Zeiss was not amenable 
to let 
you try the 15/2,8 and the 85/2, but the rest you could stick on your camera 
and shoot with. The 25/2,8 was the focal-length that I want to get - judging 
from ? roll shot wide-open in Halle 1, it performs very well.

 Cosina had their usual blue wall and guarded door - no uninvited fondlers 
there. The new Bessa R2A and R3A were on display. The R2A is basically a R2 
with 
aperture priority and the R3A is a similar cameras, but with a 40/50/75/90 
frame set up AND a 1:1 finder. Bright, contrasty and sooo good! A bit 
quieter 
than the mechanical R2 - still not a M2 quiet, but a more "muffled" sound - 
but 
who cares, with that finder it could play trumpets and I would still want 
one! 
The 40mm finder is designed to handle the 40/1,4 Nokton Classic. This is a 
true retro lens- no Aspherical elements, no multi coating, but a 50's single 
coated optic which is biased to black/white and also to a more muted color 
palette with today's high contrast color film. You are wise to get the hood 
with it 
though - single coated lenses are more prone to flare. 

 Epson was extensively lobbied by friends of mine and they did relent and 
lent me a RD-1 for a couple of months. Let it be known that I am the true 
Luddite 
- I do not know anything about computer and digital cameras. Surprise, the 
RD-1 is very intuitive for a M-user to handle. It took me about 10 minutes 
to 
figure out (could be cut to 5 if you read the manual). All right, there are 
some 
features that I haven't grasped yet but I have not missed them either. Very 
bright finder - again 1:1 and blessedly few buttons to remember. The key 
ones, 
menu and delete, are quick to get. I have been using it with the screen 
folded 
in - using it as a BessaR2 or a M2 and it feels natural. Let me tell you - 
carrying a RD-1 and the 50/1,4 Aspherical M on it did create quite a stir 
among 
even the jaded visitors at "kina 2004". Even the Lomo guys drooled heavily 
over it! Don't know if that is good or bad! I am not sure why I would have 
"a 
digital M", but so far it has a lot of novelty charm for me. Of course, I 
have 
set it up for black/white and, boy do I wish that my paper prints had that 
tonal 
range. Good friends here in Vancouver are now slotted in for test runs (4 
days each) and today it went out with my Tri-Elmar on it to a seasoned 
shooter. 
Should be interesting to see what he can wring out of it. About the Seiko 
display - the less said the better! If they can get the price down to a dull 
roar 
($1,700 -2,000) I would consider it. At $3,000 it is simply too pricey.

 What I miss now is a creative edge among the designers. Everybody is 
closely 
watching what everybody else does and there is really no "cutting edge" 
design happening. Where are the designers/manufacturers with a bit of flare 
and 
chutzpah? Fuji had a wonderful display with "what- ifs" that was promising. 
Most 
of it will probably never go into production, but at least it was something 
new, not just regurgitated designs as most of the other dragged out. Kudos' 
to 
Epson for the RD-1 in this aspect - the first of its kind. If you read the 
Zeiss brochure on the Zeiss Ikon they do state that the new rangefinder 
could also 
be made as a Digital RF and they are following the trend (a.k.a. Epson RD-1) 
to see if it is a potential.
 Now I still do not know what the hell to do with these 100's of images that 
are floating around in Tuulikki's computer - but one day I will get help and 
print them out. They do look good on the screen though!

 Apart from these tid-bits of cameras and lenses - photokina 2004 gave us a 
chance to catch up with friends; Mr. Kobayashi and Kato from Cosina, Stefan 
Daniel and J.J. from Leica, fellow Luggers from near and far; Stephen Gandy, 
Henning and Tanya Wulff from our own neighborhood here in Vancouver, Jem 
Kime from 
the UK (he will also be one of the speakers at the LHSA meeting in 
Williamsburg and is funnier than hell), Lucien from Belgium, Arne Helme, 
Jan, and Nathan 
Wajsman from Holland (Nathan is not a small man, but somehow we kept loosing 
him in the crowds). He is one of the few people that I know who can smoke, 
use 
a cell phone and take pictures all at the same time. 
 Well now we can always speculate on what will be shown at PMA 2005. At 
least, the 2004 photokina had more film based products on show than the 2002 
one. 
Maybe there is hope for us Tri-X shooters still!
Tom A
--------------------
Tom Abrahamsson
Vancouver, BC
Canada
rapidwinder.com