Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/09/02
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On 2 Sep 97, Marc James Small wrote:
<snip>
Fine, Marc. Most all here have read this from both you and other
sources before, it's just that we all don't see it the same way.
Regardless, darned if I'll let these "johnny come latelys" rename an
effect that was perfected described long ago. It will forever be "The
Leica Glow" for me.
Like Dan, I'm willing to be shown. Like religion, all it will take is
for me to experience the effect for me to believe it. (I'm still
agnostic in both cases!)
Donno though, Dan, I'd favor the use of transparencies, also, for the
great tests because of less variables. But, you're the guy doing it and
I'll be happy to evaluate whatever comes my way. I'd also like to
suggest that each participant send along 5 bucks to you to help defray
the cost of materials etc. Obviously, each participant would pay the
postage to the next in line. How about posting a snailmail address?
> Leica didn't have the funds in the 1920's and 1930's to design lenses
> which would blow the doors off of Zeiss and Voigtlander products --
> they were, after all, the 'new kids' on the block, a small microscope
> works which had moved only lately into photography. Their lens
> designer, yclept Max Berek, used a trick to make Leica lenses 'seem'
> to perform better than they actually do, by emphasizing out-of-focus
> softness. Thus, the in-focus portion of the image pops out at the
> viewer, producing the 'Leica glow', as Gianni Rogliatti calls it.
>
> This was seen as a cheap trick by the larger houses, but it built a
> foundation for the magical effect of Leica lenses. And it also
> explains why older designs do not test well, but produce images which
> stand out from those of other houses.
>
> This changed following Berek's death in the early 1950's. Certainly,
> Leica lenses produced today test competitively and, in many cases,
> blow the competition away. But such was not always the case -- and
> the Leica 'glow' of 1930 has become the 'bokeh' of today.
>
> Marc
- --
Roger Beamon
Naturalist & Photographer
Leica Historical Society Of America
mailto:beamon@primenet.com
Thought for the day:
As always, avoid alliteration.