Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/17

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Subject: [Leica] Portrait Lens: Summicron, Elmar, Elmarit
From: Bill Caldwell <sneeker@erols.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 15:54:32 -0400

Dan and others:

Dan, I agree with your observations and your use of an older Kodak Xenon
50/2.8 lens on a 1954 Retina IIc for portraits.  Just returned from
Italy, where I shot 30+ rolls of Portra 400VC & NC-36. One of the lens I
was using is great for material (statutes, buildings, towers, with
people in the background, etc.) shots, but not so great for just
"people," and that is the APO f/2.8 100 mm Macro Elmarit-R (on a R7). 
For my friends and shots of them (8 other couples) I really wish that I
had had the f/4 100 mm Macro Elmarit-R that I had last year in France
and Italy. 

The f/4 100 mm Elmarit-R is a more "friendly" lens for close-ups as it
does not show all the "blemishes."  The lens that does surprise me is
the f/1.4 35 mm Summilux-M; it is very people friendly but probably
because you are not quite as tight as the the 100 mm, and that the f/1.4
allows you to obtain photos in very difficult shooting conditions. For
"people" shots (especially over 30 years of age) the older lens are
probably the better choice.  And no I don't want to use a filter to
soften the APO f/2.8 100 mm.

Best Regards,

Bill Caldwell
<sneeker@erols.com>