Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/14

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Subject: Re: [Leica] What equipment - 4x5 and Leicas
From: "Gary Todoroff" <datamaster@humboldt1.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 21:09:50 -0700

Just yesterday as the storm crowds disappeared or gathered, depending on
which storm you picked, I headed out with my Leica CL and Super Graphic
4x5. What a trip! Both the drive and the combination. . . 

Twenty-five miles south of Eureka, I left highway 101 at Rio Dell, and
turned west up Monument Mountain Road. A couple miles later my 4x5 was all
set up, composed, and focused with the dark slide pulled on a beautiful
scene of forest, meadow, big clouds and snowcapped mountains in the
distance. Lo and behold, I cute little mule deer stepped right into the one
spot of sunshine in the meadow. My motto has always been, "watch and pray"
and this time my prayers were answered as my Rodenstock APO 135mm/5.6
Sironar took in the magical scene.

Further up, the road changed to gravel at Bear River Ridge as forest gave
way to green alpine meadow. Time for a couple of sheets of Velvia. Then
with light changing fast, I traded the Super Graphic for the CL and trekked
across the field to see what was over the brow of the next hill.
Handholding with Ilford Delta 100 and the 40mm Summicron, I shot half a
roll in fast changing light and clouds, some of it with a yellow filter. 
Coming back to the car, I pulled the 90mm Elmar-C out of my customized CL
case - an insulated plastic Aladdin lunch box. I mounted a table top tripod
and shutter release, spread out my 4x5 dark cloth on top of the car to
prevent scratches, and did some 1/15th exposures looking up the twisting
road.

New vistas were still around those turns, one with boulders reflected in a
flooded field and enough distant forest ridges to make at least five planes
of focus for another 4x5 shot at f/32 on an old Ektar 203mm/7.7. By now the
light was fading fast, so I just enjoyed the next solitary five miles with
no cars save my '88 Supra, only one ranch house and sweeping views of the
Pacific. The western most road in the US has a name fitting to the
territory - "The Wildcat" - and I turned north and homeward on it at Bunker
Hill. Six fast downhill miles later, I was in the little Victorian Village
of Ferndale, enjoying the last dinner being served at Curley's.

Ted Grant, if you've read this far, need I say more about your trip down
the coast? Just name the date.

Leica's and 4x5's, need I say more? 



> At 11:01 PM 98-04-13 -0600, you wrote:
> >Just curious to know whether anyone has found that owning a Leica M and
a
> >4x5 field camera--and nothing else--has proven to be a satisfying
experience
> >for landscapes/nature (80%) and travel photography (20%)
> >
> >Jeff
> >
> Hello Jeff,
> 
> 	All I own is a 4x5 with a 210 Schneider Apo-Symmar, M4-P, a soon to be
> replaced M6, 50mm Summilux and a 90mm Elmarit - M and this has proven to
be
> a thoroughly satisfying experience for me.  The majority of my work is
> landscape, local architecture, travel and street photography.  Occasional
I
> do wish that I had a longer lens to capture the Himal from my rooftop but
I
> find that my photographs are better when I get closer to the subject
rather
> than using a longer lens.  This summer I hope to purchase a 35mm/2.0 ASPH
> for the M's and a 120mm Schneider Super Angulon for the 4x5.
> 
> Ian Stanley,
> 
> Kathmandu, Nepal