Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/05/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I conform that. What Nathan wrote is accurate. Herbert Kanner kanner at acm.org 650-326-8204 Question authority and the authorities will question you. On May 16, 2014, at 11:29 PM, Nathan Wajsman <photo at frozenlight.eu> wrote: > I remember reading recently about a blind test where modern, mass produced > violins were at least on par if not better than Stradivarius--the test > subjects were professional musicians, not just casual listeners. > > Cheers, > Nathan > > Nathan Wajsman > Alicante, Spain > http://www.frozenlight.eu > http://www.greatpix.eu > PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ > > YNWA > > > > > > > > > > On May 17, 2014, at 12:27 AM, Peter Klein wrote: > >> A number of my friends are symphony musicians. Today, one of them posted >> on Facebook that she had found a great online deal on a set of high-end >> violin strings, and wondered if they were OK. This led to a discussion >> of the fine points of shelf life, variants of the brand, and whether a >> platinum-coated E-string is better than a plain tin one. >> >> And I wished that the "your camera (or lens) doesn't matter" crowd were >> listening in. Yes, musicians argue over instruments, strings, reeds and >> mouthpieces, just as artists *do* argue over paintbrushes, and >> photographers argue about cameras and lenses. Does anyone seriously >> believe that a cheap school-orchestra fiddle should sound as good as a >> Stradivarius or Guarneri violin? Yes, the best players might be able to >> make the bad fiddle sound reasonably good, but no way would it sound as >> good as the Strad. >> >> So why do some of us constantly down people who prefer Lens A over Lens >> B, or Camera 1 over Camera 2? The lens "resonates" the light, >> emphasizing some aspects while diminishing others, just as the instrument >> resonates the sound. The camera's ergonomics and design are optimum for >> one type of picture over another. And a camera that you have to fight to >> get the shot is just as hampering as the violin with a bad "wolf" tone in >> an exposed passage. >> >> Yes, of course musicians can get cultlike about this brand over that, >> just as photographers do about cameras and lenses. Yes, a good >> photographer my be able to take a decent picture with any camera or lens, >> just as the musician may be able to turn in a decent performance with any >> instrument. But if my friend is going to play a big solo, she wants the >> best violin and strings she can afford. If you handed her a cheap school >> fiddle and told her that "instruments don't matter, it's the musician >> that makes the music," she would probably think you were an ignoramus (to >> be charitable). And she'd be right. >> >> The hard truth is: Tools do matter. Maybe not so much with Web-sized >> JPGs, and maybe not to rank beginners. But once you're doing things "for >> real," they do matter. A lot. >> >> --Peter >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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