Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/28

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Subject: [Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others
From: walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson)
Date: Sat Oct 28 19:16:49 2006
References: <000c01c6f9c8$5a3f9690$33031aac@luispersonal> <06CEB101-CB27-46ED-8E37-5459CCB0A39A@ncable.net.au> <4542C4E0.3080304@waltjohnson.com> <520ADF86-E4E0-4955-80D4-49B7248D2D9B@comcast.net> <45436736.9010005@waltjohnson.com> <A4E43932-33A2-4E4A-8859-1DF9C5162136@comcast.net> <45437C68.1060009@waltjohnson.com> <75A8DC69-0B9D-4CED-9C10-E36DF103B463@comcast.net>

Len

I remember the big push to close off the border around the mid 90's. The 
patched the fences and put on more patrols but it didn't help much. It 
kept out the casual shoppers but the vast majority of illegals got bused 
out of town and crossed near west I 10. It was an interesting experience 
covering a lot of those things. Would think it's much tighter now after 
the WTC incident.

Walt

Leonard Taupier wrote:

> Walt,
>
> You're bringing back memories. I lived in El Paso for 7 years before  
> getting transferred to Philadelphia in 1983. I took that bridge to  
> work every day. And saw whole families crossing that river. (not much  
> of a river now).
>
> The problem I have with Velvia is the reds are too saturated. I took  
> a few shots this spring of a field of red tulips. The red was so  
> saturated you could hardly make out individual flowers. Except for  
> that Velvia is great. The sharpest E-6 film available today.
>
> Len
>
>
> On Oct 28, 2006, at 11:51 AM, Walt Johnson wrote:
>
>> The first time I shot Velvia was in the early 90's. It was on the   
>> bridge between El Paso and Juarez. Some fellow was getting ready to  
>> wade across the Rio Grande and had taken off his expensive boots.  
>> When I saw the results the darn things were so sharp and vivid I  
>> never shot it again. It looked too damned real! If I were going to  
>> shoot Mother Nature though it would be with Velvia.
>>
>> Walt
>>
>> Leonard Taupier wrote:
>>
>>> Walt,
>>>
>>> You're lucky you still have Rodinal. I'm down to my last half  
>>> bottle.  Even J and C never seems to have the older 09 formula in  
>>> stock.
>>>
>>> I agree with you on scanned transparency photos. Since I shoot   
>>> outdoors in sunlight with high contrast Leica lenses, I find the   
>>> better films like Velvia are much too contrasty though. Kodak E100  
>>> is  much more natural and gives me beautiful prints. I don't shoot  
>>> color  negatives any more. Not since developing and printing my  own 
>>> color in  the mid 80's. The work (and cost) was in the  printing.  I 
>>> don't mind  trying C-41 though. But I do get E-6 turn  around in 24 
>>> hours. Very  handy.
>>>
>>> Len
>>>
>>> On Oct 28, 2006, at 10:20 AM, Walt Johnson wrote:
>>>
>>>> Len
>>>>
>>>> Right now I've a bag full of Fomapan 400 and a stockpile of   
>>>> Rodinal. I can't really tell any difference between TX and HP5  
>>>> and  if it were not so overpriced I'd shoot Bergger. It had been  
>>>> quite a  few years since shooting any E-6 film but recently I  
>>>> scanned a  transparency and it blew me away. They make fine  
>>>> monochromes for  those seeking details. I've tried to give up b&w  
>>>> film in favor of  C-41 and Photoshop but something keeps tugging  
>>>> at the back of my mind.
>>>>
>>>> For one thing, when I process my own b&w it is done right.  
>>>> Dropping  my C-41 off  at a lab  always makes me nervous. Kodak's  
>>>> Ultra Color  C-41 would almost make doing your own color neg  
>>>> processing  worthwhile though since it is amazing film.
>>>>
>>>> Walt
>>>>
>>>> Leonard Taupier wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Have you tried an old style film like the Efke (Adox) KB25? I  
>>>>> like  it  a lot even if you have to be careful how you handle  it. 
>>>>> I  always  preferred Panatomic-X and Plus-X to get the  tonality 
>>>>> in my  landscapes  and still life photos in the 60's.  Currently I 
>>>>> use  APX100 and Fuji  Acros 100 with X-tol. I still  like my DR 
>>>>> but when  a certain mood hits  I bring out the Efke  and the 
>>>>> collapsible  Summicron. My type of photo  never needed  the speed 
>>>>> or the grain  of Tri-X. As film shooters we are  still  very 
>>>>> fortunate to have  these choices. Film ain't dead yet.
>>>>>
>>>>> Len
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 27, 2006, at 10:48 PM, Walt Johnson wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I've always labored under the assumption slower, thin  emulsion   
>>>>>> films have steeper curves and consequently are  higher contrast.  
>>>>>> I  wished it were possible to find some Tri-X  circa 1970 
>>>>>> because  these  newer films really seem to lack  depth. They  are 
>>>>>> certainly  sharp as  hell and grainless but  also toneless  
>>>>>> compared to what  once was. I  picked up a  collapsible a few 
>>>>>> years back with the  usual haze that  can be  hard to see. Leitz 
>>>>>> redid it for me and  image wise it  compares  with my late model 
>>>>>> Summicron.
>>>>>> I sure can;t help but feel the look we all knew and loved   
>>>>>> related  to film and developer rather than lens characteristics.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Walt
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Alastair Firkin wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ah, at last I can offer an opinion ;-) I have the  
>>>>>>> collapsible    Summicron on my M3. It is a lens I choose above  
>>>>>>> others when I  want  a  slightly 1960's feel to the result:  
>>>>>>> using this lens  with Plus   X like  film makes images I  
>>>>>>> recognise, gives a  feeling that is  different to  the more  
>>>>>>> modern glass: I suppose  its "softness" and  would suffer in   
>>>>>>> lens tests, but it would  have been perfect for  your "grab"  
>>>>>>> shot the  other day of the  two people kissing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Others will prefer Tri X, but I never liked Tri X. Being a    
>>>>>>> contrary  bastard, I really disliked the high contrast  grainy   
>>>>>>> images my peers  were making in the 1970's and  therefore 
>>>>>>> always   bought Plus X Pan ---  I use mainly APX 100  for the 
>>>>>>> similar   feeling now.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One down side to the lens is that the f stop ring is a bit   
>>>>>>> stiff  and  rotating it sometimes unlocks the barrel, but I'm   
>>>>>>> used to  that now.  One plus is that it can be used to pre- 
>>>>>>> focus  with its  "tab" far more  easily (certainly than the  DR  
>>>>>>> summicron which  lacks the tab) because  the focus ring  is  
>>>>>>> "exposed" when the lens  is "mounted" and easy to  feel  
>>>>>>> without  looking.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Great lens in "some" ways and good travel companion.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>> On 27/10/2006, at 23:03, Luis Ripoll wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I would appreciate your experienced opinions about the    
>>>>>>>> Collapsible  Summicron
>>>>>>>> 50mm. I had the "Rigid" Summicron, I've sold it because it   
>>>>>>>> had   fungus and
>>>>>>>> make a lot of haze, but I regret the nice richness of grey   
>>>>>>>> tones   that this
>>>>>>>> lens gave me.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Now I have 3 lenses of 50 mm: Summicron model of the year    
>>>>>>>> 198/199...,
>>>>>>>> Summilux (1964), and the new Elmar. I'm looking for the   
>>>>>>>> Collapsible
>>>>>>>> Summicron to have the "nostalgia" subtle tones of the past.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Could I have some opinions about how it will compare with  my   
>>>>>>>> actual  50mm
>>>>>>>> lenses (Summilux and Elmar)?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thanks in advance for your opinions and advice
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Saludos desde Barcelona
>>>>>>>> Luis
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more   
>>>>>>>> information
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more   
>>>>>>> information
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more  
>>>>>> information
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more  information
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

In reply to: Message from luisripoll at telefonica.net (Luis Ripoll) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from firkin at ncable.net.au (Alastair Firkin) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)