Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/31

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Subject: Re: The Leica Challenge Cup! Playoff!
From: Gary J Toop <gtoop@uoguelph.ca>
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 00:01:04 -0400 (EDT)

On 31 Aug 1997, ted grant wrote:

> Dan CArdish wrote:
> 
> <<<I have been toying with the idea of preparing a set of photographs of a
> similar subject (a model I may be photographing in a week or two)  taken with
> three different 50mm lenses, the 50mm DR Summicron, the Minolta AF 50/1.4, and
> the Nikon 50mm AI.  Maybe I will bring along my Leitz Summilux 50 as well.  I
> will try to make 3 (or 4) identical 8x10 prints from them. The lighting will
> likely be near sunset, so all of the pictures should have a nice "glow" about
> them.  >>>>>>
> 
>SNIP!
> 
> Hell I hate being stupid! :) Certainly after all I've said. :) But it's a great
> challenge and I'm in for sure! I guess we need some way of creating the "Leica
> Challenge Cup!" list so each one can move it quickly to the next
contestant. Any  efficient ideas folks?
> Ted 
 
	Actually, I do have a suggestion.  It seems to me from my own
experience - and from reading the postings of others like me who claim to
be able to see the difference between Leica lenses and other lenses -
that this difference is not visible in every negative.  Furthermore, I
think that it is less visible with some colour negative films than others.
I suggest that instead of circulating a few colour prints, it would be
better to circulate sets of matching slides of a number of different
subjects in different lighting, at least 6 and maybe 12 or more from each
lens.  I also suspect that it might be a good idea to use Leitz lenses of
recent vintage, as their contrast and colour cast seem to more closely
match those of other recent lenses, at least given the prints that I have
seen.  Taken together, I think that those conditions might make for a more
fair test of members' ability to spot pics shot with  Leitz glass.


	By the way, do anyone know whether Sam Abel shot the National
Geographic article on Northern Australia a year or two back with Leica
glass:  the cover picture of an aborigine with painted face looking up
from a pool of water seems to me to have the feeling of depth and tonal
scale and colour that I think is characteristic of pics shot with Leitz
glass - which, if he happens to be shooting with a Nikon, shows how little
able I am to recognize Leica pics.  

Gary