Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Bokeh is nonsense!!!
From: Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 05:26:06 -0600 (Central Standard Time)

Hello, Sal and LUG....
 "Sal DiMarco,Jr." 
 wrote:
> Luggers,
>     Ted is correct....
>     Bokeh is utter nonsense. It is the photographic equivalent of "art
> speak." In other words the babbling of uninformed people trying to sound
> knowledgeable.

Thank you, Sal.

I've studied/worked at photography since I was 11....I'd like to add my .02:
When "leicaphiles" talk about "bokeh", I think they're talking about OOF areas 
rendered by a many-bladed diaphragm (quality lens), perhaps with some additional 
flare/coma at the wider stops (where, by definition, "bokeh" occurs?)...The 
wide open Summarit, with scratchs, I used to use--comes to mind...

While on the subject, it's like when they talk about "M-advantages"....these 
are ACTUALLY the advantages of a high-quality RF, interchangeable lens camera 
with an effective multi-focal finder...which until recently, only Leica 
made (since 1968 or so)....the recent, well thought out post by Jim about 
"mirror" bounce was significant--my experience with Nikon SLRS and LEica Ms
has proven his points to me...  ANY of the pro RFs (SP, Canon VIt/7etc, 
Prominent, Contax--even a working Retina) would have the same advantages
 as an M in low light (1/8-1/30 sec, 
focusing normal and shorter focal length fast lenses)--Unfortuntately, only the 
Bessa and its lenses (I'm waiting for the "M" version--???)...
is a viable alternative to Leica today...I'm wondering/worried
about it's longevity...anybody got any "hard use" experience yet?

>     This group includes the such people at Carl Mydans, Alfred Eisenstaedt,
> Ralph Morse, Bill Eppridge, David Burnett, Chris Morris, Jim Nachwey, Neil
> Leifer, Dave Duncan, a large number of the Magnumites, 
 Oh, and since he is on the LUG, Bill Pierce.

I enjoyed this list.  My photo-heroes (when I was a teen) included Eisenstadt, 
Duncan, and Bill Pierce--I never missed his columns!!...One of my instructors,
the late Peter Anderson, was one of their contemporaries...They all probably 
made good use of Leica Ms, or SOME equivalent camera!!!---
 
>     Never, absolutely never, has anyone of these people ever mentioned
> bokeh! Never!  I seriously doubt some of them as ever hear the word.

I never heard of it until the LUG, and I've worked with many (probably lesser)
photographers for 25 years...no one EVER commented on the OOF areas, AT ALL!!!

I don't know how many of them are on the LUG, I doubt if most sane folks would 
wade through 100 posts a day about UV filters and pictures of the kids,
but I'd sure like to 
read more posts from non-"leicaphile" working photographers--whether they 
use Leica or not...I appreciate those of you (Sal, Ted, Tina, many others) 
who DO post, even though you may be busy...I enjoy living through your eyes/work 
while I'm cooped up here at the University (gosh, maybe I'm a photo-voyeur?--
maybe a new category for the APA?)

Walt in Denton

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Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@markrabiner.com> (Re: [Leica] Bokeh is nonsense!!!)