Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/12/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have some fantastically sharp Leica lenses (Summicron DR amongst them) as well as a low contrast Nikkor 105 f/2.5 for portraits and a few very high contrast Japanese optics. I actually like working in lower contrast & adding the contrast in prints. I can add density to a low contrast print but not as easily take it away from a high contrast negative. As I'm sure most photographers here use a lens for a certain purpose each of my lenses has a unique purpose and I use them to display these properties. The Xenon happens to be a wonderful lens wide open for portraits and stopped down its great for general photography. It's a TINY camera that is ultimately pocketable as well and this is what I've been looking for. The same result can't be duplicated by just throwing a modern lens out of focus. I used to love tack sharp, but I'm not taking photos for scientific purposes. I'm just capturing a fraction of a second in time as art. That's all we do is make art. I don't sit over images of a brick wall with a loupe & try to buy my way into the next sharpest lens. I like capturing life in photos & if I've got a working camera from WWII with a lens that works very well is there any harm in that? Add to this that I'm a poor college student and I think my broken $9 Adox which I repaired and cleaned up is a nice accomplishment. For me at least. PhilFo On Wednesday 12 December 2007 13:08, Daniel Ridings wrote: > Dem's fight'n words! > > :-) > > I just happen to like my Elmars and think they're pretty sharp. These > two have been submitted to the yearbook. > > http://www.dlridings.se/paw/2007/20.html > > and ... > > Well, another Elmar shot. > > Daniel > > On Dec 12, 2007 7:49 AM, Nathan Wajsman <nathan@nathanfoto.com> wrote: > > While I like the first image, I must admit that I do not understand > > the point of purposely using uncoated, low-contrast, flare-prone > > lenses when perfectly good and affordable modern equivalents are > > available. The people who designed the old lenses 50 or 70 or 100 > > years ago were not aiming for any "painterly" effects. They attempted > > to design lenses to deliver as much sharpness as they could, given > > the technology at their disposal. While these lenses may have > > historical interest today, I honestly do not see any purpose in > > forsaking the progress that has occurred in optical technology during > > the last several decades. > > > > If you want an unsharp picture, you get always get one with a modern > > lens--just throw the lens off focus, or use a slow shutter speed, or > > do some Photoshop magic. But you cannot get a sharp picture from an > > unsharp lens. > > > > Nathan > > > > On 9-dec-2007, at 2:26, Philip Forrest wrote: > > > I finally exposed a roll of XP2 today with the "new" Adox Adrette. > > > That Xenon > > > lens has a nice soft look to it at the wider apertures. As the > > > camera is > > > scale focused, I need to get better at my distance estimation. > > > I encountered a light leak but that has since been rectified. The > > > film is > > > still off in vertical register slightly, but that is an issue of > > > take-up > > > spool thickness. The correct spool is on the way as I write. > > > > > > Here are a few photos with little to no manipulation in the > > > computer, light > > > leak and dust included. Regardless, I'm really liking the > > > "painterly" effect > > > of the uncoated, low contrast, flare-prone Schneider lens. > > > > > > http://tinyurl.com/2vp7lv > > > http://tinyurl.com/2mzjny > > > http://tinyurl.com/2re2hn > > > > > > More to come. > > > PhilFo > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Leica Users Group. > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > Nathan Wajsman > > nathan@nathanfoto.com > > General photography: > > http://www.nathanfoto.com > > http://www.greatpix.eu > > http://www.frozenlight.eu > > Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > > Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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