Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/06/30

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Subject: [Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH
From: montoid at earthlink.net (Montie Talbert)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:21:07 -0400 (GMT-04:00)

Well put!  Once your individual requirements are met, and the photos
work for you (and/or your clients) the rest is, well, just the rest.
If that's a "Diana" so be it.

Years back, one of the camera systems I worked with was mounted on
fighter aircraft, capable of exposing 6 (30 x 5 inch) frames per second,
phenomenal imagery...terrible for weddings, though!  ;-)

Montie


>>I have been listening to this debate with great interest. What amazes me is
the feeling that something a technical reviewer (Erwin Putts) touches on
seems to be more believable than seeing actual photographs (Sonny Carter's).
I sort of come away with the feeling that we have lost our ability to make
our own judgements. Blame it on the internet where unproven opinion is so
easy to get! (-:

My view on this subject is very simple - shoot with the lens you have - in
normal viewing conditions, for 99.99% of photographers in the whole wide
world, it does not matter whether the lens is stellar or it is a dog. Camera
equipment should be purchased purely based on requirement - for example, I
carry the fastest long lenses that I can find and bodies that are
exceptional performers in low light because the subjects I enjoy
photographing require it. I am far more casual about what I use at the
wide/normal end, it is just not that important. Equally, I do not understand
why one would buy Leica M lenses instead of CV or Zeiss if one is not going
to shoot wide open for the most part. But that is just me.

Take both the London photographs I posted the other day - both are taken
with what would pass as crappy amateur Nikon zooms in any technical review -
'Wild Dogs' was shot with (the horror!) a kit lens that came with the D70 -
a slow 18-70mmDX. 'Reflections' was shot with an all-in-one 18-200DX lens,
even worse. I like both these lenses, and have found them very good for
casual travel in conjunction with a light, small body. Both these shots were
submitted for Print Exchanges (Letter/A4 size) in the past with no adverse
comment on the crappiness of the lens or print. At least I print - the great
majority of users of photographic equipment nowadays just post online - for
them the quality of lenses is irrelevant. As I have said many times in the
past, you might see greater detail with great lenses, but not up to 19'x13'
prints at normal viewing distances - this is my conclusion based on careful
study of my collection of 1000+ prints emanating from Print Exchanges, both
colour and B&W, as well as numerous prints that I continue to purchase for
my collection.

See my Travel Folder - all the photographs except 'Wild Dogs' (D70+18-70mm
kit lens) and "Lakeside" (GF1+20mm) were taken with the Nikon D40x and the
18-200DX lens, a distinctively lowbrow combo!:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/ireland/

Cheers
Jayanand



Replies: Reply from philippe.amard at sfr.fr (philippe.amard) ([Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH)