Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/21

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Subject: Re: Obsessions -- with sharpness
From: ted grant <75501.3002@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 21 Aug 97 17:19:47 EDT

Carl Socolow wrote:

<<A technical obsession with ultra-crispness, just because the optics are
capable, does not necessarily make for a good photograph.>>

Hi Carl,

How true. Been there and got caught shooting because when looking through the
viewfinder and reacting, "Geeeze look how crisp that is and is that ever sharp!
Click!"

And guess where that frame ends up? Right! file 13 on the cutting room floor.

Your description also fits the often heard phrase, "Wow look at that beautiful
sun set! Gee how come your not taking pictures?"  "Because a beautiful sunset
doesn't necessarily make for a great picture!"

And neither does the world class sharpness/contrast/crispness etc etc of all the
Leica lenses in the world. It sure helps make the well thought out and story
telling content look fabulous, but it can also just be another incredibly sharp
technically perfect award winning piece of film with nothing more than looking
technically like the sharpest piece of film in the world! 

As a photograph to move people in thought and reaction? ZIP!  But a very crisp
ZIP!

ted