[Leica] 35mm versus 120

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

Mike wrote in part
"Assuming that "suitable material and technique" means a more-or-less
100-speed film and a tripod, and presuming that one intends to end up
with 16x20 enlargements (12X is 18 inches in the long dimension, or
full-frame on 16x20 paper with a 1-inch border), my question would be:
why not prefer a Hasselblad or a 4x5?"

This is the classical but fallacious response when one tries to 
document the optical quality of Leica lenses and their capacity for 
high image quality. First of all I am not trying to establish the 
suitability or superiority of one format versus another one. I myself 
have more than once discussed the limits of Leica for large format 
enlargements. And there is no doubt in my mind that grain for grain 
the 120mm or the sheet film will produce excellent image quality.
BUT I have opted for Leica to have a small photographic instrument 
for taking pictures in all situations I deem suitable for recording 
on emulsion. And if I use my M6 with a 90mm APO at f/2 and 1/1000 of 
a second handheld with 100 ISO, I will equal the image quality of a 
Hasselblad with a 4/150. The Hassy is more expensive, much heavier 
and vastly user unfriendly for handheld shooting in a dynamic 
environment and a slide projector or enlarger is also more expensive 
and heavier. Tests show that the emulsion/filmplane  in a Hasselblad 
is far from flat and even as curvy as the Rocky Mountains. The 2/90 
apo gives me at 2 better image quality than the 4/150 at 4 and when 
stopping down the apo to 4 it surpasses the Hasselbald 4/150.
So the question should not be: I a need a high quality 16x20 inch 
print:  what format should I use? Of course one can ask: why not use 
the 120 roll-film or the 4x5 inch negatives if a big enlargement is 
required. But that is a solution looking for a problem.
The question I asked myself is: I want to take pictures with the 
Leica M6 because I like the photographic style that this camera 
supports and I like to exploit the optical abilities of the Leica 
lenses. Where are my limits? That question I answered and if the 
Leica capabilities extend into Hasselblad territory, so what.


Erwin