[Leica] Re: Tri-Elmar, cropping

["Griffith, Lucian" <griffil1@anz.com>]

"logan" wrote:
>>>What do Tri-elmar user thing of the bokeh of their lens when compared to
the
prime lenses ?

I'm new to this group, so forgive my ignorance of whatever bokeh is - I read
loads of photography magazines, books, websites, and this is the first time
I've come across the term.  I feel as if I've stumbled across a secret
society - now I see it refererred to in every second post! (Potentially this
is a "yellow VW" scenario).  As a happy Tri-Elmar user I'd be happy to
answer the question if only you could define that pesky terminology.

On the subject of the Tri-Elmar, these multi-body / same film users in the
group might consider something like the 28-35-50.  Although it's limited
speed wise (f.4) for many situations it's great.  Then when it gets a bit
dark I switch back to my fixed focal length lenses.  I'm willing to make a
few compromises if it means I don't have to lug around bags of equipment,
extra bodies etc. (It also makes me less conspicuous viz. street
photography).  I also like to have both colour and black and white film; I
rarely confuse them becuase I use the Leica equipment for b&w, and Canon
stuff for colour.

And thinking of focal lengths and cropping - about 95% of the time I print I
don't crop at all because it makes life a lot simpler and quicker in the
darkroom.  But principally it's becuase leaving the black border signals to
the viewer the artificial / constructed nature of the photograph itself;
it's a slice of life, an impression - it ain't reality.  Signalling this by
including the unexposed border is a way of pointing to the artifice.  And
besides that it looks good.  (You could argue that maybe then I should also
print the sprocket holes, but I've got to draw the line somewhere...)

As a newbie I've already read some interesting discussion here.  I'm
particualarly pleased to have noted two other Lucians here already.  Hope
I'm able to make some worthwhile contribution to the group (failing that, is
banality and unfounded opinion okay? cheers).

Lucian G.