[Leica] Color film advice

[oliverbryk at iqmail.net (Oliver)]

Although I have been partial to Agfa Optima for more than 15 years I'll not
step into the brand debate but touch on the film speed topic. I agree that,
for all practical purposes, the effective speed of color negative films has
at least doubled. I merely want to point out the obvious, namely, that the
slower rated color films allow the use of wider apertures which has many
advantages in certain daylight conditions. A shallow depth of field can
often make a color image more effective, and Leica lenses are said to be -
by design - at their best at just a stop or two less than maximum aperture
(I'll defer to Erwin Puts on the implications of small apertures.) I am, of
course, not generalizing to include situations where long telephotos and/or
high shutter speeds are required, and I'm not keen on color pictures taken
in available darkness.
Oliver Bryk