Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/06/14

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Erwin's Latest
From: scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)
Date: Tue Jun 14 06:54:19 2005
References: <CBAF58BF70FEDD4699C708C19057102404340AA6@NAEAWNYDEX16VA.nadsusea.nads.navy.mil>

Art,

It's an interesting point. It's also interesting to think about
different quality criteria and what has improved and how
much, and then what has not improved so much since the
times of HCB.

Just a few quick thoughts, but a shutter, shutter speed,
film load/wind/rewind, aperture setting and a meter (presuming
a hand held meter) hasn't changed all that much, I imagine.
Some of the earlier Summicron 50's are still cherished for
their high resolution and lower contrast for B&W photography. 
I wonder how much build quality has changed either way since
the 40's and 50's.

Automation has certainly improved, and modern zoom lens
technology, while I'm no afficianado, seem quite remarkable
to me.

Scott

Peterson, Arthur G CIV SEA 02 wrote:

>B. D. Colen wrote (in part), "As to the comments about the Canon lenses - 
>It's not that photographers won't 'notice,' it's that real photographers 
>know it just doesn't matter - what matters is getting a meaningful image, 
>not the technical accomplishment."
>
>And Mark Rabiner responded (in part), "BD feels threatened by people 
>talking on the Leica users group about how much they value their Leicas."
>
>I value my Leicas, and I have no idea of what B.D. may or may not feel, but 
>I would like to re-frame what I take to be his point in a way that seems to 
>me indisputable.  Three quarters of a century ago, Cartier-Bresson was 
>taking better photographs with his technologically deprived (i.e., by 
>today's standards) Leicas than I'm taking today with the latest electronic 
>bodies and aspherical lenses.  And if using equipment as antiquated as his 
>would enable me to take photographs as good as his, I'd trade my modern 
>equipment for it in an instant.
>
>Art Peterson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>  
>



Replies: Reply from bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Re: Erwin's Latest)
In reply to: Message from arthur.peterson at navy.mil (Peterson, Arthur G CIV SEA 02) ([Leica] Re: Erwin's Latest)