Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] HCB method
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 21:58:26 -0400

At 09:29 PM 6/24/99 -0400, Rob Schneider-Laura Tully wrote:
>I read these sentiments a lot.  Yet, I wonder . . . . Has anyone here
>actually been assaulted or threatened (sneers and quizzical/dirty
>looks don't count) when engaged in up-close street photography with a
>Leica M?  I'm talking about major cities, busy sidewalks,
>well-trafficked areas, etc. 

Well, no, but I've damned near punched several "photo-journalists" out with
their verkakte wide-angle lenses.  We have had these discussions ad nauseam
on this List, but I do NOT see why these morons cannot use a 90mm lens and
remain at a decent distance.

We have several present and former PJ's and editors on the List, and,
probably, I will be publicly or privately pilloried by them for posting
this, as I often am, but I do NOT understand why a 90mm head-and-shoulder
shot at ten feet is not as good as a 35mm shot at 3 feet.  But, apparently,
editors have some psychological reflex need for wide-angle shots, so the
PJ's are ordered to use 35mm or 28mm lenses to cover every press conference
they attend.

Sheezh!  I am a photographer, friends.  I do my own dark-room work.  I use
MF and miniature-format gear (35mm for the youngsters in our crew).  And I
simply fail to understand the frantic love for wide-angle lenses, other
than that they radically distort the background.

I guess I'm just not psychedelic enough for today's newspapers!

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!