Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/27

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Re: Leica Users digest V18 #284
From: "Frank Dernie" <Frank.Dernie@btinternet.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2000 13:33:25 +0000

Ted,
I didn't realise why I preferred Leica pics for most of the time I have used
Leicas. I have been on this list 3 or 4 years now and many posts have got me
thinking about this sort of thing rather than just taking pics. It was not
something I thought about before. Boke is a word I saw first on the LUG. Now
I know that the two things I like about my leica lenses are shrpness wide
open with non distracting oof area. If you saw the two photographs which
really showed it up for me when I used a Nokton 50 f1.5 you would see what I
mean.
One was an abstract picture of an old tree trunk in a wood - the oof light
entering the wood between the trees was so prominent, blobby and magnified
that one didn't notice immediately that any of the shot was in focus. I went
back and shot with a 50 summilux - the shot is not a keeper anyway but now
it looks quite different with smooth highlights which seem reduced in size.
The sharp part leaps out of the picture in a 3D way and I wouldn't even
notice the background if I hadn't been looking for it (I've never tried this
sort of "test" before)
The second was a wide open portait in a restaurant, subjects back to window.
The apparent size of the bright window was enlarged. Very distracting. The
subject was super sharp and the flare resistance impressive. I havn't used
the lens since.
I am sure it wasn't concious but the lenses I still use after all these
years are the ones I don't find disappointing, so I guess that I do, in
effect, consider boke before taking a picture because I no longer use the
lenses who's boke, amongst other things, displeases me.
cheers Frank

> I hope this kind of allows a better understanding of why I don't think it's
the
> big deal some folks make of it, even though I know in some cases it's an
> enhancing factor to the subject.
>
> ted Grant