Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/29

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Subject: [Leica] digital transformation
From: nathan.wajsman at planet.nl (Nathan Wajsman)
Date: Fri Apr 29 23:31:55 2005
References: <000001c54b9a$e92b4120$6401a8c0@dorysrusp4> <6.1.2.0.2.20050428085625.040b2ee0@mail.comporium.net>

I am with Tina on this one. No nostalgia. If you look in the archives, 
you will probably see posts from me from 2-3-4 years ago stating that 
hell would freeze over before I switched to digital or something to that 
effect. Well, as a Danish politician once said, "You have an opinion 
until you change it". For me, seeing was believing. In June last year a 
friend from Denmark came to visit me. He is a photographer whose work I 
have always liked very much, and he brought his Canon 10D. I had an 
opportunity to use it for 3 days, really experiment with it, get to know 
it, and see the results on my computer and in print. Seeing is 
believing. The experience convinced me that a DSLR can produce output on 
par with film, and in October I bought my 20D. As ISO speeds of 100-400 
it produces results on par with film of corresponding speed; at 800 and 
higher it produces results far superior to film. This, and the 
undeniable convenience of shooting some pictures and seeing the results 
on the computer the same day, is what made me switch. Not clients (I am 
an amateur), not any love of gadgets (I am quite happy with my mobile 
phone and PDA, both of which are a couple of years old), not any desire 
to own the latest and greatest. Simply quality and convenience. Those 
who do not believe me and make denigrating comments about this new 
medium have either never really tried to work with it or are simply so 
closed-minded that no amount of evidence will convince them. That's fine 
with me. To which her own, live and let live etc.

I certainly do not miss film. I do miss shooting with a Leica M6, 
because it is still in my view the finest piece of photo equipment ever 
made. Hopefully one day a digital version of it will exist at a price I 
can afford. If not, then I will just stick with the Canons. What is most 
important in the end is the images.

One other comment: despite all kinds of technical explanations to the 
contrary, most of which go over my head, it is clear to me that putting 
superior optics (such as a Leica R lens) on a digital body results in 
superior images, just as it does with film. It is interesting to see 
that on the Fred Miranda Canon forum there is right now quite a lot of 
discussion about Leica R and Zeiss lenses, adapters to use those lenses 
on Canon EOS bodies and related subjects. These are people who have no 
emotional attachment to Leica, but I guess many of them have discovered 
the joy of Leica glass. Perhaps this is a hint about one possible future 
of the company.

Nathan

Tina Manley wrote:

> At 10:35 PM 4/27/2005, you wrote:
> 
>> So I guess what I am really wondering is, how many of us on the list are
>> somewhat nostalgic for film, or have genuinely embraced the digital
>> revolution?
>>
>> Don
> 
> 
> No nostalgia here.  I'm looking at the photos, not the medium.  I do 
> miss my M's and would love to have digital M.  I'm enjoying the instant 
> gratification of digital and learning more about my Canons every day.
> 
> Tina
> 
> 
> Tina Manley, ASMP
> www.tinamanley.com
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 

-- 
Nathan Wajsman
Almere, The Netherlands

General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com
Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com
Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman
http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507
Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com



In reply to: Message from dorysrus at mindspring.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] digital transformation)
Message from images at InfoAve.Net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] digital transformation)